Route Fifty - All Contenthttp://www.routefifty.com/News and analysis that impacts state, county and local government leaders across Americaen-usMon, 19 Mar 2018 04:02:59 -0400This City’s ‘Windows on the Past’ Is Way Cooler Than Most Local History Muralshttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/walla-walla-windows-past-history/146756/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/19/walla_walla_windows/medium.jpg"
alt="&#34;Windows on the Past&#34; in downtown Walla Walla, Washington"
title="&#34;Windows on the Past&#34; in downtown Walla Walla, Washington"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WALLA WALLA, Wash. &mdash; Walking along Main Street in this historic city in southeastern Washington state, there&rsquo;s no shortage of places offering a glass of wine&mdash;the Walla Walla Valley has the <a href="https://www.washingtonwine.org/wine/facts-and-stats/regions-and-avas/walla-walla-valley">highest concentration of wineries</a> anywhere in Washington state.</p>
<p><em>Route Fifty</em>, however, was drawn to something else in downtown Walla Walla during a weekend road trip. Tucked away in Heritage Park just off Main Street is &ldquo;<a href="http://artwalla.com/windowsonthepast">Windows on the Past</a>,&rdquo; which for those who like public art installations, offers a really cool idea for any community looking to honor a full spectrum of local history and preserve an architecturally significant building.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2683.3080591963508!2d-118.3383507010684!3d46.068454663214936!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x9fad5a920b94ea10!2sHeritage+Park!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1521446458874" frameborder="0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2683.3080591963508!2d-118.3383507010684!3d46.068454663214936!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x9fad5a920b94ea10!2sHeritage+Park!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1521446458874"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p>When Walla Walla&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.ioof.org/">Odd Fellows</a>&rsquo; Temple was torn down in 1993, the building&rsquo;s sandstone fa&ccedil;ade, which features distinctive windows and curved Dutch parapets, was taken apart block by block, numbered and reinstalled in Heritage Park thanks to a community effort led by the Blue Mountain Art Alliance, now known as <a href="http://artwalla.com/">ArtWalla</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://artwalla.com/windowsonthepast">According to the organization</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[T]his colorful mural is composed of historic and contemporary photos from ethnic and cultural groups who lived in the Walla Walla Valley from 1850-1950. They are reproduced in porcelain enamel on steel panels and inlaid on the historic fa&ccedil;ade of Henry Osterman&#39;s 1902 Odd Fellows&#39; Temple.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/19/windows_past.jpg" />
<figcaption>(Photo by Michael Grass / Route Fifty)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>ArtWalla hosts <a href="http://artwalla.com/windowsonthepast">an online tool to explore the details of the window panels</a>, which include everything from images of a Chinook salmon; historic photos of local Native American tribal members, including the Cayuse; and a picture circa 1920 showing two local Whitman College students, William O. Douglas and Francis Penrose. (Douglas would go on to serve as the longest-serving U.S. Supreme Court justice.)</p>
<p>&ldquo;Windows on the Past&rdquo; is certainly not your average local history mural. There&rsquo;s a lot to learn about Walla Walla from this project, whether you&rsquo;re looking at it in Heritage Park or have never stepped foot in Walla Walla.</p>Michael GrassMon, 19 Mar 2018 04:02:59 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/walla-walla-windows-past-history/146756/Management"Windows on the Past" in downtown Walla Walla, WashingtonMichael Grass / Route FiftyAustin Police Chief Has Message for Bomberhttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/austin-police-chief-has-message-bomber/146755/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/19/Screen_Shot_2018-03-18_at_11.46.00_PM/medium.png"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government stories that caught Route Fifty&#39;s attention ...</em></p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC SAFETY | </strong>Federal, state and local law enforcement swarmed to the scene of an explosion in an <strong>Austin, Texas</strong> neighborhood that injured two people, though<strong> it&rsquo;s not clear whether the incident is connected to three recent package bombings</strong> in the city that killed two people. Austin&rsquo;s interim police chief, <strong>Brian Manley</strong>, urged residents in the impacted neighborhood on the city&rsquo;s southwest side to stay indoors until daylight. He also had a message for the bomber: &ldquo;<strong>These events in Austin have garnered worldwide attention, and we assure you that we are listening</strong>,&rdquo; Manley said at a news conference. &ldquo;<strong>We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you</strong>.&rdquo; A $115,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Initial Statement from Chief Manley regarding explosion <a href="https://t.co/CCydXhmQ8e">https://t.co/CCydXhmQ8e</a></p>
&mdash; Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/status/975574449947779072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>[<a href="http://kut.org/post/two-men-injured-explosion-southwest-austin"><em>KUT</em></a>; <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/local/fourth-explosion-this-month-injures-two-this-time-southwest-austin/iKM0UCqA9MCucbvdlO7cfK/"><em>Austin American-Statesman</em></a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/status/975574449947779072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fkut.org%2Fpost%2Ftwo-men-injured-explosion-southwest-austin"><em>@Austin_Police</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>INFRASTRUCTURE | </strong>As investigators continue to examine last week&rsquo;s <strong>deadly pedestrian bridge collapse</strong> at <strong>Florida International University</strong> in <strong>Miami</strong>, there&rsquo;s been finger-pointing between the university and the Florida Department of Transportation. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a good relationship with FDOT&mdash;I just want to make it clear,&rdquo; FIU President <strong>Mark Rosenberg</strong> told the <em>Miami Herald</em>. &ldquo;So we&rsquo;re anxious to find out more about what they think we didn&rsquo;t do. Because they&rsquo;ve been involved at every step.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article205704039.html"><em>Miami Herald</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>OPIOID EPIDEMIC |</strong> <strong>President Trump</strong> is scheduled to be in <strong>New Hampshire</strong> on Monday to unveil a new package of proposals aimed to help curb the nation&rsquo;s <strong>opioid abuse epidemic</strong>.</p>
<p>According to <em>The Boston Globe</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>His policy is expected to focus on cracking down on drug distribution&mdash;urging the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty for some drug traffickers&mdash;as well as on prevention and rehabilitation. His administration also aims to cut the number of opioid prescriptions by one-third over the next three years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Details about Trump&rsquo;s proposal emerged last week. &ldquo;<strong>Rarely, if ever, has a policy proposal been this simultaneously encouraging and horrifying</strong>,&rdquo; <em>Daily Intelligencer</em> observed.</p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2018/03/18/visit-trump-announce-opioid-plan-including-death-penalty/u6KACsS4ZvJ00qEA62bkqL/story.html"><em>The Boston Globe</em></a>; <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/trump-opioids-plan-includes-good-ideas-killing-drug-dealers.html"><em>Daily Intelligencer / NYMag</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ELSEWHERE&nbsp;&hellip;</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Cincinnati, Ohio:</strong> An ongoing city hall battle that led to <strong>Mayor John Cranley</strong> asking for the resignation of <strong>City Manager Harry Black</strong> appears to be one step closer to a resolution. In an agreement between the mayor and city manager, which needs City Council approval, Black would leave his position with 18-months salary. &quot;I thank the mayor and manager for coming together for the best interest of the people of Cincinnati. We hope we can get back to the business of the city,&quot; according to <strong>Councilman Christopher Smitherman</strong>. [<a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/17/cincinnati-city-manager-harry-black-agrees-leave-18-months-salary-but-council-agree/435382002/"><em>The Enquirer / Cincinnati.com</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Salt Lake City, Utah: </strong>In a first-of-its-kind law anywhere in the U.S., Utah has become the first state to legalize &ldquo;<strong>free range parenting,</strong>&rdquo; the practice where children can do things on their own&mdash;with their parents permission&mdash;to improve their self-sufficiency. <strong>Gov. Gary Herbert</strong> signed the measure on Friday. [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/utah-governor-signs-law-legalizing-free-range-parenting"><em>AP via KUTV</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Phoenix, Arizona: </strong>Shoppers in the Grand Canyon State who see the label <strong>Arizona Grown</strong> might assume that they&rsquo;re purchasing something that&rsquo;s locally grown. But &ldquo;<strong>products made in Arizona don&#39;t necessarily have to use ingredients grown in Arizona to qualify for the state brand</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2018/03/13/arizona-grown-food-branding-program-offers-scant-oversight-no-enforcement-local-food-promotes/359833002/"><em>The Arizona Republic / USA Today</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Austin, Texas: </strong>A recently released analysis of self-reported industry<strong> </strong>data compiled by the federal government by <strong>Environment Texas</strong> and California-based think tank <strong>Frontier Group</strong> showed that major industrial facilities in Texas &ldquo;<strong>released illegal levels of pollution into rivers, lakes and other waterways over a 21-month period ending September 2017</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2018/03/15/report-texas-industrial-facilities-rank-first-illegal-water-pollution/"><em>Texas Tribune</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Jefferson City, Missouri:</strong> Two bills in the state legislature &ldquo;<strong>aim to expand high-speed broadband in rural parts of Missouri through contracts with electric cooperatives</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/senate-discusses-legislation-bring-broadband-rural-missouri"><em>St. Louis Public Radio</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Modesto, California:</strong> Lawyers for firefighters who filed a federal lawsuit in 2016 against the city over <strong>how it calculated overtime pay</strong> came to a settlement agreement last week. The city will pay about $100,000 to firefighters. [<a href="http://www.modbee.com/news/article205321439.html"><em>Modesto Bee</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>New Orleans, Louisiana: </strong>In an interview with <strong>George </strong><strong>Stephanopoulos</strong> on ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;This Week,&rdquo; <strong>Mayor Mitch Landrieu</strong> said that &ldquo;we have a dark moment in the country, it&#39;s obvious that a lot of people feel alienated. White people in rural America feel alienated. African-Americans in urban areas feel alienated,&quot; said the Democratic mayor, who will be leaving office this spring. &quot;People just feel [distant] from each other.&quot; [<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-dark-moment-now-orleans-mayor-removed-confederate/story?id=53824506"><em>ABC News</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Juneau, Alaska: </strong>A recent search for <strong>two missing mountain climbers </strong>making an ambitious ascent of the <strong>Mendenhall Towers</strong> required a major response by <strong>Juneau Mountain Rescue</strong>, which used the <strong>RECCO Rescue System</strong>&mdash;primarily used in Europe and designed for avalanche rescue&mdash;for the first time in a missing persons search in Alaska. [<a href="http://juneauempire.com/local/news/2018-03-16/searchers-use-radar-technology-locate-missing-climbers-wait-recovery-continues"><em>Juneau Empire</em></a>]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Lincoln, Nebraska: </strong>For the second-year in a row, <em>Site Selection</em> magazine has selected <strong>Nebraska</strong> for its Governor&rsquo;s Cup, which showcases the place with the &ldquo;<strong>most economic development projects per capita of any state</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.kmaland.com/news/nebraska-wins-nd-governor-s-cup-from-site-selection-magazine/article_7476fbfe-26b9-11e8-b4f4-af4d9257048d.html"><em>Nebraska Radio Network</em></a>; <a href="https://siteselection.com/issues/2018/mar/cover.cfm"><em>Site Selection</em></a>]</li>
</ul>Michael GrassMon, 19 Mar 2018 02:50:16 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/austin-police-chief-has-message-bomber/146755/Public SafetyAustin Police DepartmentAdvocates Offer New Remedy for Health Care Woes as a Bridge to Single Payerhttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/california-single-payer/146754/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/19/california_capitol/medium.jpg"
alt="The California State Capitol in Sacramento"
title="The California State Capitol in Sacramento"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="https://calmatters.org/articles/seeing-single-payer-as-lost-cause-coalition-offers-a-new-remedy-for-health-care-woes/">orginally published</a> by CALmatters,&nbsp;a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California&rsquo;s state Capitol works and why it matters.</em></p>
<p>California won&rsquo;t be adopting&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/articles/single-payer-healthcare-california-advocates-playing-long-game/">single-payer</a>&nbsp;health care with its $400 billion price tag any time soon. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon made sure of that by opposing it.</p>
<p>But the health care system is ailing, and organized labor, health care advocates and several Democratic lawmakers are offering a new prescription in the form of several bills. The measures could provide a bridge to a single-payer system in the future.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Universal coverage is within our grasp,&rdquo; Anthony Wright of&nbsp;<a href="http://health-access.org/">Health Access California</a>, the leading proponent of the package, said at a Capitol press conference last week.</p>
<p>The measures are intended to rein in health care costs, fend off Trump administration efforts to undermine Obamacare, provide lower-income Californians with greater access to care, and reduce&nbsp; pressure on Democrats to embrace the costly single payer concept. The overall cost is yet to be determined.</p>
<p>Backers say they hope to deliver them to Gov. Jerry Brown&rsquo;s desk for his signature in the final months of his tenure. It won&rsquo;t be easy. Measures that would cost money&mdash;and any significant bill would&mdash;probably would need to be approved before the deadline for adopting a new budget, July 1.</p>
<p>The announcement comes a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/articles/california-may-buck-congress-health-insurance-requirement/">Covered California</a>, which oversees the Affordable Care Act in this state, reported that health care premiums for some Obamacare customers could rise as much&nbsp;<a href="http://hbex.coveredca.com/data-research/library/CoveredCA_High_Premium_Increases_3-8-18.pdf">35 percent</a>&nbsp;by 2021.</p>
<p>Separately,&nbsp;<a href="http://healthcare.assembly.ca.gov/sites/healthcare.assembly.ca.gov/files/Report%20Final%203_13_18.pdf">a report</a>&nbsp;produced earlier this week as part of an Assembly inquiry into health care said 21 percent of Californians who have health insurance are considered under-insured, and cannot afford out-of-pocket health care expenses.</p>
<p>There are, for example, people earning $30,000 a year who have insurance policies requiring them to pay annual deductibles of as much as $6,000, an impossibility.</p>
<p>The proposal includes bills to provide greater subsidies for middle-income earners who rely on Obamacare and help them pay for prescriptions. Other measures would attempt to regulate health insurance company profits, including one by Assembly Health Committee Chairman Jim Wood, a Democrat from Healdsburg, to impose greater oversight when&nbsp;<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB595">health care providers</a>&nbsp;want to merge.</p>
<p><a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB910">A bill</a>&nbsp;by Senate Health Committee chairman Ed Hernandez, a Democratic from Covina, aims to prohibit the sale in California of the low-cost short-term insurance policies, a concept that would undercut an idea pushed by the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump. Democrats dismiss such policies as junk because they failed to provide basic coverage.</p>
<p>Wright said the coalition, which includes organized labor, consumers, immigrant advocates and groups such as Planned Parenthood, is advocating a state-only individual mandate, intended to compel people to buy health insurance. Such a bill likely would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Congress abolished the federal mandate that had been part of the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>A goal would to be expand coverage to include more undocumented immigrants. The state already provides health care coverage for all children, including about 225,000 who are undocumented. Sponsors hope to extend that coverage, at a minimum, for undocumented individuals up to age 26, and elderly people.</p>
<p>Insurance companies and many business groups surely will oppose most if not all the bills as too costly and burdensome.</p>
<p>From the left, the California Nurses Association is skeptical of the package. The union is a leading advocate for replacing our existing private insurance with a single-payer system, funded by taxpayers and administered by the state&mdash;and is an aggressive political force that pushes Democratic candidates to embrace it.</p>
<p>Chuck Idelson, the union&rsquo;s spokesman, said the union supports expanded coverage for undocumented immigrants, but called the proposal &ldquo;fragmented&rdquo; and said it would reinforce an insurance-based system that depends on profits.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The leaders of California are sitting on their thumbs or taking half steps,&rdquo; Idelson said.</p>
<p>Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has made a point of backing single payer in his Democratic bid for governor, was quick to issue a statement calling the package &ldquo;a step in the right direction&rdquo; toward universal coverage.</p>
<p>Democratic politicians worried about attacks from the left see the new package as a way to show voters, who are increasingly concerned about health care, that they are acting. No matter what comes of the roughly 20 bills, whoever becomes the next governor will need to grapple with health care coverage, costs, and the politics of it all.</p>Dan Morain, CALmattersMon, 19 Mar 2018 00:23:27 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/california-single-payer/146754/Health & Human ServicesThe California State Capitol in SacramentoShutterstockHere Are Some Key Challenges to Critical Infrastructure Securityhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/here-are-some-key-challenges-critical-infrastructure-security/146753/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/19/power_lines_texas/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Government and industry should conduct more research into understanding which complex security questions can be fully automated and which ones require &ldquo;humans in the loop,&rdquo; according to the readout of a Feb. 28 meeting between government and critical industry sectors.</p>
<p>The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/New-CISR-Stakeholder-Workshop-Summary-Formatted-FINAL.pdf">&nbsp;meeting</a>&nbsp;included representatives from 13 of the 16 infrastructure sectors that the Homeland Security Department has decided are critical to the country&rsquo;s national security. Among the 16 sectors are: energy, transportation, health care, telecommunications and government facilities.</p>
<p>Other findings from the meeting include:</p>
<ul>
<li>A key challenge is modeling interdependencies within critical infrastructure sectors that increase efficiency but may also increase digital vulnerabilities.</li>
<li>More research is needed to detect, prevent and mitigate cyber threats, including approaches that involve artificial intelligence and automation.</li>
<li>Cyber protection techniques and technologies developed for one sector may often be successfully adapted for another.</li>
<li>Rapid cyber threat information sharing between government and industry has improved the way critical infrastructure sectors respond to crises, helping them to &ldquo;coordinate and quickly disseminate critical information from public and private sources.&rdquo;</li>
<li>International collaboration has also been helpful in improving cyber resiliency.</li>
</ul>
<p>The meeting of the National Science and Technology Council&rsquo;s Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Stakeholder Workshop was co-chaired by Homeland Security, the White House&rsquo;s Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p>Joseph Marks, NextgovMon, 19 Mar 2018 00:04:55 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/here-are-some-key-challenges-critical-infrastructure-security/146753/Tech & DataShutterstockApple’s Next Product Launch Will Take Place at a Public School in Chicagohttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/apples-next-product-launch-will-take-place-public-school-chicago/146729/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/16/tim_cook_apple/medium.jpg"
alt="Apple CEO Tim Cook"
title="Apple CEO Tim Cook"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Today, March 16, Apple sent journalists an invite to an event March 27, likely to show off some new products. But instead of hosting at its&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/1076020/what-does-apples-new-headquarters-smell-like/">brand-new campus</a>, or at any venue in the Bay Area as it tends to do, the forthcoming event will be held at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, Illinois. It&rsquo;s highly likely that whatever Apple announces will be focused on education.</p>
<p>Perhaps that&rsquo;ll mean some new low-end MacBook laptops (rumors&nbsp;<a href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/03/more-affordable-13-inch-macbook-air/">still circulate</a>&nbsp;that it plans to revamp the MacBook Air), or new iPads, which Apple&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/932089/apple-aapl-really-wants-you-to-replace-your-laptop-with-an-ipad-pro-new-models-likely-released-in-2017/">seems convinced</a>&nbsp;that students can use instead of laptops. Students in high school and middle school around the US&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/27/as-chromebook-sales-soar-in-schools-apple-and-microsoft-fight-back/">have taken to</a>&nbsp;using Chromebooks, highly affordable laptops running Google&rsquo;s Chrome operating system that are often provided by the schools themselves.</p>
<p>Microsoft attempted to recover some of the market with an&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/973777/microsoft-msft-unveils-the-surface-laptop-a-macbook-pro-competitor-thats-warm-to-the-touch/">education-focused event</a>&nbsp;last year, and the launch of the Surface Laptop, but that still costs considerably more than most Chromebooks. Whether Apple plans to take on that market with a new product, or just service it with iPads, is unclear.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned"><img alt="" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/16/screen-shot-2018-03-16-at-10-06-24-am.png" />
<figcaption>(via Quartz)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Apple has perviously worked with the Chicago public school system&mdash;the fourth-largest in the U.S. with around 400,000 students&mdash;and in December&nbsp;<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=115076X1574194&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fnewsroom%2F2017%2F12%2Fapple-and-chicago-bring-coding-opportunities-to-city-students%2F" rel="nofollow">announced</a>&nbsp;that students would soon be able to attend after-school coding classes supported by Apple.</p>
<p>We&rsquo;ll find out what it has in store for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-chicago-schools-population-drop-20171020-story.html">the dwindling</a>&nbsp;Chicago student population&mdash;and the rest of us&mdash;at 10 a.m. U.S. Central time, March 27.</p>Mike Murphy, QuartzFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:36:03 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/apples-next-product-launch-will-take-place-public-school-chicago/146729/Tech & DataApple CEO Tim CookShutterstockState-Local Collaboration Needed Ahead Opportunity Zone Deadlinehttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/opportunity-zone-deadline-census-tracts/146727/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/16/opportunity_zones/medium.png"
alt="Areas in blue are eligible for the Opportunity Zones program."
title="Areas in blue are eligible for the Opportunity Zones program."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>CAMBRIDGE, Mass. &mdash; On March 21, governors around the country (as well as the mayor of Washington, D.C.) will nominate a subset of their low-income census tracts to be eligible for tax-advantaged private investment.</p>
<p>The program has the potential to unlock a huge amount of capital for rebuilding our nation&rsquo;s distressed communities. An estimated 52 million Americans live in distressed ZIP codes that the national economic recovery of recent years seems to have passed by completely.</p>
<p>On a recent phone call hosted by <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/">Harvard Kennedy School</a> and <a href="https://www.livingcities.org/">Living Cities</a>, <a href="http://eig.org/leadership/executive-team-and-staff">John Lettieri</a>, co-founder and senior director for policy and strategy at the <a href="http://eig.org/">Economic Innovation Group</a> and one of the architects of the Opportunity Zones program, explained the ins and outs of the initiative. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Included as part of the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1">2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act</a> by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the program will allow investors to transfer unrealized capital gains into private-sector investment vehicles called Opportunity Funds. These funds will support projects undertaken in low-income, high-poverty census tracts.</p>
<p>According to Lettieri, the funds will invest in a range of assets from qualified corporations to partnership interests in property located in Opportunity Zones. Designed to incentivize long-term investment, the program rewards those who invest in Opportunity Funds for 10 years or more by making their additional capital gains tax exempt.</p>
<p>&quot;[Opportunity Zones] are a particularly big deal at a time when a lot of other incentives are going away, and business as usual hasn&rsquo;t been able to turn struggling communities around,&quot; said Lettieri. He added: &quot;The [Opportunity Funds] help level the playing field, transforming passive investments in financial markets into productive investments in low-income areas.&quot;</p>
<p>The selected census tracts will tap into what some experts estimate is over $6 trillion in unrealized capital gains that could help rebuild neighborhoods still struggling after the 2008 recession. Regarding the investments that Opportunity Zones would induce, Lettieri was open-ended, noting: &quot;A lot of activities are both needed and possible: operating business investments, real estate, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and many more.&quot;</p>
<p>States may nominate only a limited number of census tracts for designation as Opportunity Zones. For that reason, Lettieri suggested that local officials work closely with their state counterparts to put their best foot forward.</p>
<p>&quot;Governments should be thinking about balancing need and opportunity in selecting tracts and weighing the anticipated use cases in different communities,&quot; said Lettieri. He suggested that local officials such as mayors help bring together stakeholders from businesses and philanthropic communities to help governors articulate how they could best leverage an Opportunity Zone designation in their communities.</p>
<p>&quot;The goal is to match State economic development priorities and other resources up with the Zone designations, so there&#39;s a multiplier effect,&rdquo; said Lettieri. &ldquo;Additionally, Opportunity Zones will favor communities that have recently suffered job losses from facility closures, business relocations, and local industry disruption. The program will lean heavily towards new creation: new businesses, new projects, and new development.&rdquo;</p>
<p><a href="http://eig.org/opportunityzones">EIG&#39;s website</a> contains further information about Opportunity Zones and how to work with governor&rsquo;s offices on zone designation.</p>Wyatt Cmar, Special to Route FiftyFri, 16 Mar 2018 12:24:47 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/opportunity-zone-deadline-census-tracts/146727/ManagementAreas in blue are eligible for the Opportunity Zones program.PolicyMap.comTo Prevent Suicides and School Shootings, More States Embrace Anonymous Tip Lineshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/suicides-school-shootings-anonymous-tip-lines/146726/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/16/columbine_memorial/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/16/to-prevent-suicides-and-school-shootings-more-states-embrace-anonymous-tip-lines">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Sophie Quinton.</em></p>
<p>After a teenage gunman killed 17 people at a Parkland, Florida, high school last month, schools across the country were hit by a wave of copycat threats.</p>
<p>In Colorado, at least two high school students were arrested based on information sent to the state anonymous tip line and mobile app,&nbsp;<a href="https://safe2tell.org/">known as Safe2Tell</a>. &ldquo;They had a list, they had weapons, they knew exactly what they wanted to do,&rdquo; said Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, whose office administers the program.</p>
<p>States across the country are responding to high-profile school shootings and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6630a6.htm">rising teen suicide rates</a>&nbsp;by creating tip lines modeled on Colorado&rsquo;s. The programs aim to prevent young people from behaving dangerously, whether that means bullying, using drugs or killing someone.</p>
<p>Coffman said that Safe2Tell has saved lives in Colorado, and that such a system could have prevented the Parkland shooting. Nikolas Cruz, the expelled student who has admitted to shooting his former classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, had a long record of disturbing behavior but it didn&rsquo;t provoke a sufficient response from local authorities. A tipster&rsquo;s warning to an FBI hotline was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/fbi-nikolas-cruz-shooting.html">never communicated</a>&nbsp;to local law enforcement.</p>
<p>Tips that are sent to Safe2Tell, in contrast, are required to be passed on to school districts and often police departments, and local officials are required to investigate. That might mean setting up a meeting between a student and a school counselor, or it might mean sending a police car straight to a student&rsquo;s home.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Something like Safe2Tell would have led to an intervention,&rdquo; Coffman said of the shooting in Florida. &ldquo;I feel very confident saying that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Tip lines, which are relatively inexpensive and don&rsquo;t affect gun control laws, are one of the few policy responses to mass shootings that Republicans and Democrats can agree on.</p>
<p>Colorado launched Safe2Tell after Columbine in 1999. Since 2014, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming have launched similar programs, prompted in part by the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.</p>
<p>In the wake of the Parkland massacre, the Colorado Safe2Tell office has fielded calls from the Trump administration and interested state and local officials nationwide. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting calls from all over the country now, it&rsquo;s crazy,&rdquo; said Susan Payne, the director of Safe2Tell.</p>
<p>The Colorado Attorney General&rsquo;s Office is working with its Florida counterpart to potentially set up a tip line there. In Arizona, a bill setting up a similar program is making its way through House and Senate committees. And this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4909?r=383">the U.S. House passed legislation</a>&nbsp;that would authorize grants for such programs along with other school safety initiatives.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Solutions on the state level &mdash; including in my home state of Utah &mdash; can help show us the way forward,&rdquo; Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/2/hatch-outlines-commonsense-safety-proposals-following-florida-shooting">in a speech</a>&nbsp;last month announcing the school safety legislation. Utah&rsquo;s anonymous tip line has investigated 86 credible school attack threats since it launched in 2016, according to University of Utah Health, the health care system that manages the program.</p>
<p>A Response to Columbine</p>
<p>Payne came up with the idea for Safe2Tell in the 1990s when she was working as a police detective in Colorado Springs. At the time, youth violence was rising locally, and she found that young people often had valuable information about what was going to happen and needed trusted adults to tell &mdash; and a reliable way to do it.</p>
<p>She envisioned a system that would teach children that speaking up was their civic responsibility and doing so didn&rsquo;t make them a tattletale. Unlike the national tip line Crime Stoppers, there would be no cash reward for providing information. Safe2Tell expanded statewide in Colorado in 2004, initially as a nonprofit.</p>
<p>Today, Colorado state patrol officers respond to tips that reach Safe2Tell by phone, mobile app or website 24/7, and ask tipsters detailed questions to gather information about a potential problem. Alerts are sent out to local officials soon after the interview ends.</p>
<p>John McDonald, head of security for Jefferson County Public Schools, said he&rsquo;s been woken in the wee hours by his phone buzzing with an incoming alert. Often, he said, young people submit their reports when they&rsquo;re up late worrying about something.</p>
<p>He has responded to tips about everything from suicidal thoughts to underage keg parties. Sometimes, tips lead to dramatic rescues. He and Coffman both shared the story of a middle-school-aged boy who tried to hang himself in a park. The boy&rsquo;s teenage brother found him and saved his life after a principal received a tip and called the family in alarm.</p>
<p>Payne says that non-emergency reports are important, too. For instance, a report that a child has been cruel to animals can help a school district intervene and address his violent tendencies early on.</p>
<p>Last school year, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://safe2tell.org/sites/default/files/u18/End%20of%20Year%202016-2017%20Data2Report.pdf">9,000 tips</a>&nbsp;were submitted statewide. The most common tip involved a suicide threat. Other common tips involved bullying, drug use, cutting and depression, and about 300 involved planned school attacks. Anyone can use the service, including parents, teachers, college students and other community members.</p>
<p>Social media has made it easier than ever for users to spot and share safety threats. Sometimes tipsters will share pictures students have posted online of themselves wearing body armor and posing with a gun.</p>
<p>To make sure the program is being used, Safe2Tell officials team up with schools and nonprofits to educate students about it. &ldquo;Just a tip line, by itself, I don&rsquo;t think is the answer,&rdquo; Payne said.</p>
<p>Not a Magic Solution</p>
<p>Yet some acts of violence have slipped through the cracks. In 2013, a student entered a Denver-area high school armed with a shotgun, a hunting knife and three Molotov cocktails. He shot a classmate in the head and then shot himself. Both teenagers died.</p>
<p>Although several students had had concerns about the student&rsquo;s violent tendencies, nobody called the state tip line. &ldquo;If just one student or teacher had called Safe2Tell, this tragedy might have been averted,&rdquo; a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.colorado.edu/cspv/publications/AHS-Report/Report_on_the_Arapahoe_High_School_Shooting_FINAL.pdf">report from researchers</a>&nbsp;at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Northern Colorado said about the shooting.</p>
<p>The researchers found that, among other mistakes, the high school never properly taught students and staff about Safe2Tell. The program was advertised on posters in the hallways, and stickers on the back of student identification badges, but students had not been trained to use it.</p>
<p>School districts need a system for keeping track of and addressing worrisome behavior way before a student reaches a crisis point, said William Woodward, one of the report authors and director of training and technical assistance at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado. The center is working with Colorado schools to improve intervention.</p>
<p>And schools also need the resources to follow up. Nevada, for instance, hired more school social workers before it launched a tip line this year. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t want tips to come in, and nobody ready to respond,&rdquo; said Christina McGill, director of the office for a safe and respectful learning environment at the Nevada Department of Education.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I will kid you not: It is labor intensive,&rdquo; McDonald said of the Safe2Tell program. Tips can come in at any time of day and might involve a coordinated response from school administration and the police. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re waking up a lot of people,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Coffman said that policymakers and school officials in other states have told her that they&rsquo;re worried some schools may not have the capacity to adequately respond to a high volume of tips.</p>
<p>The number of tips submitted in Colorado have increased dramatically over the past decade, which Coffman attributes partly to rising awareness of the program and partly to rising incidence of mental illness among young people in Colorado and nationwide. &ldquo;I think that is an undercurrent through all these statistics,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>States that want to set up a program similar to Safe2Tell should start with legislation that guarantees anonymity for tipsters, Payne said, and they can reach out to Colorado for advice. Safe2Tell cost less than $600,000 to run last year, she estimated.</p>
<p>Payne said she has encouraged the White House to establish a national umbrella to oversee all the state programs, as tips can come in to Colorado&rsquo;s system that affect other states, and vice versa.</p>
<p>Although the White House has not commented on the umbrella organization idea, President Donald Trump supports school safety legislation passed by the House this week, according to spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.</p>
<p><strong>DO YOU HAVE A SCHOOL SAFETY CONCERN TO REPORT?</strong></p>
<p>Reach out to the following state tip lines:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Colorado:</strong>&nbsp;download the Safe2Tell app, call 1-877-542-7233, or submit a report at&nbsp;<a href="https://safe2tell.org/">https://safe2tell.org</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Michigan:</strong>&nbsp;download the Ok 2 Say app, call 1-855-565-2729, or submit a report at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say/">https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say/</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Nevada:</strong>&nbsp;download the SafeVoice Nevada app, call 1-833-216-7233, or submit a report at&nbsp;<a href="http://safevoicenv.org/">http://safevoicenv.org/</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Oregon:</strong>&nbsp;download the Safe Oregon app, call 1-844-47403367, or submit a report at&nbsp;<a href="http://safeoregon.com/">http://safeoregon.com/</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Utah:</strong>&nbsp;download the SafeUT app or call 1-800-273-8255, to find out more go to:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/16/healthcare.utah.edu/uni/programs/safe-ut-smartphone-app">healthcare.utah.edu/uni/programs/safe-ut-smartphone-app</a></li>
<li><strong>Wyoming:</strong>&nbsp;download the Safe2Tell Wyoming app, call 1-844-996-7233, or submit a report at&nbsp;<a href="https://safe2tellwy.org/">https://safe2tellwy.org/</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>Sophie Quinton, The Pew Charitable TrustsFri, 16 Mar 2018 11:18:41 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/suicides-school-shootings-anonymous-tip-lines/146726/Public SafetyShutterstockFeds: Russian Hackers Are Targeting U.S. Power Plantshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/feds-russian-hackers-are-targeting-us-power-plants/146716/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/16/power_lines/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><strong>CYBERSECURITY |</strong> It might be a good time for state and local officials, agency managers and other personnel review continuity-of-operations plans to respond to a blackout scenario. An alert jointly released Thursday by the <strong>Homeland Security Department </strong>and <strong>FBI</strong> warns that Russian hackers have been busy&nbsp;<strong>targeting U.S. energy-sector infrastructure</strong>. According to&nbsp;<strong><em>Politico</em></strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It says the hackers penetrated targeted companies to a surprising degree, including copying information that could be used to gain access to the computer systems that control power plants. It&#39;s the kind of access that experts say would have given Moscow the ability to turn off the power if it wanted to.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In July, <strong><em>Bloomberg News</em></strong> reported that Russian hackers &ldquo;<strong>had breached more than a dozen power plants in seven states, an aggressive campaign that has since expanded to dozens of states</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/15/dhs-fbi-russia-hackers-targeted-energy-grid-813745"><em>Politico</em></a>; <a href="https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA18-074A"><em>US Cert</em></a><em>;</em> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-15/russian-hackers-attacking-u-s-power-grid-aviation-fbi-warns"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MDFRTRT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MDFRTRT</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLTF1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLTF1</a> accessing collapsed bridge structure voids at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIUBridgeCollapse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIUBridgeCollapse</a>. <a href="https://t.co/TgyjoPLr2J">pic.twitter.com/TgyjoPLr2J</a></p>
&mdash; MDFR (@MiamiDadeFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiDadeFire/status/974448261477093377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>BRIDGE COLLAPSE | </strong>A <strong>950-ton pedestrian bridge</strong> that was recently installed and still under construction collapsed near <strong>Florida International University</strong> in <strong>Miami-Dade County</strong> on Thursday, <strong>killing at least four people and crushing eight cars</strong> on <strong>Tamiami Trail</strong> below. It&rsquo;s not what led to the catastrophic failure of the bridge span which was installed in six hours last Saturday. &nbsp;[<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/west-miami-dade/article205316174.html"><em>Miami Herald</em></a>; <a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/fiu-bridge-collapse-construction-firms-accused-of-unsafe-practices-10176596"><em>Miami New Times</em></a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiDadeFire/status/974448261477093377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><em>@MiamiDadeFire</em></a>] &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>OPIOID ABUSE | </strong>Nine towns and two counties in <strong>West Virginia</strong> filed separate <strong>federal lawsuits against a handful of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors</strong> of painkillers. According to the <strong><em>Charleston Gazette-Mail</em></strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Each local government claims the pharmaceutical companies failed to comply with laws requiring them to monitor, detect, investigate, refuse and report suspicious orders of prescription opiate medications.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The companies named in that lawsuit are <strong>AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation</strong>, <strong>Cardinal Health</strong>, <strong>McKesson Corporation</strong>, <strong>H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Co.</strong>, and <strong>The Harvard Drug Group</strong>. [<a href="https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/cops_and_courts/wv-local-governments-file-opioid-lawsuits-in-federal-court/article_745a44a2-df7e-5743-9cc7-1936f9acc6a8.html"><em>Charleston Gazette-Mail</em></a>]</p>
<p>The state of <strong>South Dakota</strong> filed a civil lawsuit on Wednesday against three pharmaceutical companies accusing <strong>Purdue Pharma</strong>, <strong>Janssen Pharmaceuticals</strong> and <strong>Endo Health Solutions</strong> of &ldquo;<strong>intentional deception and misrepresentation</strong>&rdquo; of their painkillers in marketing and promotional efforts, according to the complaint. [<a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/14/complaint-drug-epidemic-mass-proportions-fueled-pharma-companies/424309002/"><em>Argus Leader</em></a>]</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned normal"><img alt="" class="normal" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/16/Screen Shot 2018-03-15 at 10.13.30 PM.png" />
<figcaption>(Western Governors Association)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT | </strong>The <strong>Western Governors Association</strong> has released its list of the <strong>Top 50 Invasive Species in the West</strong>. Included on the list are terrestrial species like <strong>feral hogs</strong>, <strong>feral cats</strong>, <strong>the emerald ash borer</strong>, <strong>salt cedar</strong>, <strong>cheatgrass</strong> and aquatic species like the <strong>Eurasian watermilfoil</strong>, <strong>quagga</strong> and <strong>zebra mussels</strong>, <strong>Asian clams</strong> and the <strong>western mosquitofish</strong>. [<a href="http://westgov.org/images/editor/WGA_Top_50_Invasive_Species.pdf">Western Governors Association</a>]</p>
<p><strong>WASTE MANAGEMENT |</strong> <strong>China</strong> has grown tired of <strong>contaminated recycling</strong> from the United States&mdash;the result of <strong>single-stream recycling</strong> not properly separating normal trash from the reusable material&mdash;and has instituted a policy that will cut back on such imports. In <strong>Minnesota</strong>, companies &ldquo;that collect and sell recycling are starting to feel the effects of the Chinese policy, and some involved in the process say it could provide an opportunity to develop more strategies to reuse recycling at home,&rdquo; <em><strong>MinnPost</strong></em> reports. The state has also been working to <strong>encourage new homegrown markets for its recycling</strong>. &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s an opportunity here, from my standpoint, there is an opportunity here to develop new capacity,&rdquo; according to <strong>Wayne Gjerde</strong>, recycling market development coordinator with the <strong>Minnesota Pollution Control Agency</strong>. [<a href="https://www.minnpost.com/economy/2018/03/china-taking-less-us-s-recyclables-might-be-opportunity-minnesota"><em>MinnPost</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>CORRECTIONS | Alaska</strong> is the one of the few states that lacks a prison industries program. &quot;<strong>We&#39;re a pretty big outlier</strong>,&quot; according to <strong>Alaska Department of Corrections</strong> <strong>Commissioner Dean Williams</strong>. But a proposal from <strong>Gov. Bill Walker</strong> would change that and restart a program that was shut down in 2010 due to mismanagement. [<a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2018/03/12/new-bill-would-put-inmates-back-to-work-in-alaska-prisons/"><em>Anchorage Daily News</em></a>]</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/16/albany_new_york_787.jpg" />
<figcaption>Albany, New York</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS |</strong> Here&rsquo;s a good reminder that <strong>long-term road maintenance often comes with significant&nbsp;costs</strong>.&nbsp;In <strong>New York</strong>&rsquo;s <strong>Capital Region</strong>, rebuilding a 9.4-mile stretch of <strong>Interstate 787</strong> between <strong>Albany</strong> and <strong>Colonie</strong> as is has&nbsp;<strong>a nearly $900 million price tag</strong>, according to the <strong>I-787/Hudson Waterfront Corridor Study</strong>. But it will also cost an additional &ldquo;<strong>$330 million to keep in a &lsquo;state of good repair&rsquo; over the next 20 years</strong>,&rdquo; the <strong><em>Times Union</em></strong> reports. Some have pushed for I-787&rsquo;s removal through the downtown Albany, where the expressway cuts the riverfront off from the rest of the city. Putting I-787 in a depressed cut through downtown would be even more costly and difficult due to its alignment through a floodplain with adjacent freight rail tracks. [<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PA6EfNNJjYqX7MR_siG9iyuW5D6QFxMM/view"><em>I-787/Hudson Waterfront Corridor Study</em></a>; <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Fix-or-replace-Reconstructing-787-would-cost-12753743.php"><em>Times Union</em></a>; <a href="http://www.newyorkupstate.com/business/2018/03/future_cost_to_rebuild_i-787_in_albany_nearly_900_million_study_finds.html"><em>Albany Business Review</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>STATE</strong> <strong>LIBRARIAN</strong> | <strong>Oregon Gov. Kate Brown</strong> fired <strong>State Librarian </strong><strong>MaryKay Dahlgreen</strong> in a move that <strong>surprised many in the library community</strong>. &quot;The governor&#39;s office will work to recruit a highly qualified candidate that can deliver on the clear and reasonable expectations for the State Library and the various educational programs it oversees,&quot; according to a spokeswoman for the governor. [<a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/03/kate_brown_ousts_beloved_orego.html#incart_target2box_default_#incart_target2box_targeted_"><em>The Oregonian / OregonLive.com</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassFri, 16 Mar 2018 02:50:54 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/feds-russian-hackers-are-targeting-us-power-plants/146716/Tech & DataShutterstockA Focus on Inclusion From Mayorshttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/focus-inclusion-mayors/146714/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/mayor_benjamin_columbia_sc/medium.jpg"
alt="Columbia, S.C. Mayor Steve Benjamin speaks at a news conference with fellow mayors outside the Justice Department on April 25, 2017."
title="Columbia, S.C. Mayor Steve Benjamin speaks at a news conference with fellow mayors outside the Justice Department on April 25, 2017."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who will succeed New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu as head of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, told <em>Route Fifty</em> a focus on inclusion will be a &ldquo;primary&rdquo; theme of his leadership of the organization.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Inclusion will be one of our primary themes and probably the very first thing that will come out of my mouth every interview I conduct over the next year,&rdquo; Benjamin told <em>Route Fifty</em> during an interview at SXSW this week. &ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s the spirit of America, and inclusion allows us speak to our better angels, so it&rsquo;s going to be a sacrosanct part of what we discuss over the next year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Landrieu, the current president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is term-limited and will be succeeded by LaToya Cantrell as mayor of New Orleans on May 7. Benjamin, the organization&rsquo;s 1st vice president, is set to succeed him in the organization&#39;s leadership.</p>
<p>While pointing out there would be other &ldquo;unifying&rdquo; issues like infrastructure, Benjamin spoke passionately about the importance of inclusion in our country. For Benjamin, the value of inclusion appears to be a matter at the core of what mayors do: encourage communities to focus on their common values and solve challenges together.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our strength is doing things together,&rdquo; Benjamin said. &ldquo;And if you break out that legal pad and I write down the five most important things to me and my beautiful wife and our children, the reality is you could probably sign the name of any family, of any faith. In Appalachia, in the inner city, in the suburbs somewhere in Kansas, we all want the same things.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The importance of inclusion is something Benjamin sees in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Yes, I live in the heart of the American South, the first state to secede from the Union, the original Secession Convention was held at First Baptist Church just a couple blocks away from City Hall,&rdquo; Benjamin explained. &ldquo;But now I serve as a mayor of a city founded in 1786 that host people from 200 different countries. We have an incredible diversity of not just political opinion but cultural backgrounds and if we don&rsquo;t speak to that as a strength every single day, then we&rsquo;re missing out on what it takes for us to be a competitive and prosperous city well into the 21st century.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Watch the full interview or check out our key takeaways below.</strong></p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-youtube"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TgYm__SRBow?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TgYm__SRBow?wmode=transparent"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>On Columbia, South Carolina both economically vibrant and progressive:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;By being good stewards of the public trust&mdash;we&rsquo;re strong and fiscally sound&mdash;it&rsquo;s amazing how much latitude our citizens give us to try and put new ideas on the table,&rdquo; Benjamin said, between ticking off a myriad of assets (from universities to the largest army base) and accomplishments that most mayors would envy. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been very fiscally conservative in the way that we handle our money, we finished five of the last seven years with a budget surplus, we&rsquo;ve been upgraded by Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s and Moody&rsquo;s&mdash;all the things that you want to see in good fiscal control. But at the same time we put some very good progressive ideas on the table, and our citizens are really rising to the challenge.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>On the changing role of mayors being discussed at SXSW:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Our role as mayors has really expanded over the last several years. We see great dysfunction in Washington&mdash;state governments are being affected with that same issue&mdash;and we have republicans and democrats and independents here at this conference [SXSW] all focused on how we can very intentionally create this desired future state, and what happens if you don&rsquo;t act&mdash;what could potentially happen if you don&rsquo;t act.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>On his challenge to his city to lose 25,000 pounds with him over three months:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;If you go on Twitter or social media, look at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mayorweighsin&amp;src=typd">#mayorweighsin</a> and ... every city council meeting I&rsquo;d weigh in. I&rsquo;d post my meals online, just trying to take care of this temple&mdash;one temple God&rsquo;s given each one of us&mdash;lost about 25 pounds. I decided this year I&rsquo;d challenge the entire city to join me and our goal is, collectively over three months, to lose about 25,000 pounds.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We want to get people active. We&rsquo;ve had some great initiatives over the year in which we&rsquo;ve done bike rides together&mdash;walking with the mayor, moving with the mayor. It&rsquo;s just a chance for us to figure out how we can live longer, happier, healthier lives with the people we love.&rdquo;</p>Mitch HerckisThu, 15 Mar 2018 21:23:18 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/focus-inclusion-mayors/146714/ManagementColumbia, S.C. Mayor Steve Benjamin speaks at a news conference with fellow mayors outside the Justice Department on April 25, 2017.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP File PhotoMoody's Highlights States Most Vulnerable to NAFTA Exithttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/moodys-states-most-vulnerable-nafta-exit/146702/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/montreal_port_ship/medium.jpg"
alt="A docked container ship at the Port of Montreal, in Canada, during 2015."
title="A docked container ship at the Port of Montreal, in Canada, during 2015."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Michigan, Texas, Vermont and North Dakota are the states that could face the greatest economic fallout&nbsp;if the U.S. were to abandon&nbsp;the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to a new report from a&nbsp;credit rating&nbsp;agency.</p>
<p>The Trump administration is currently pushing for a revamp of the trilateral trade pact between the U.S., Canada and Mexico and the president <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-nafta/trump-renews-threat-to-scrap-nafta-going-into-next-round-of-talks-idUSKCN1B70NA" target="_blank">has threatened</a> scrapping it if the talks don&#39;t yield the sorts of changes he&#39;s seeking. Moody&#39;s Investors Service says in a brief issued Thursday that the risks to the NAFTA renegotiation are rising.</p>
<p>NAFTA went into effect in 1994. Trade in goods between the U.S., Canada and Mexico&nbsp;was&nbsp;upwards of $1 trillion in 2016.</p>
<p>In Michigan, Texas, Vermont and North Dakota, the Moody&#39;s brief notes, NAFTA-related trade accounts for over 10 percent of gross state product&mdash;a&nbsp;measure&nbsp;of economic activity.</p>
<p>That&#39;s compared to the U.S. as a whole, where trade with NAFTA partners is about 5.8 percent of gross domestic product.</p>
<p>Michigan is the state that is most dependent on NAFTA-related trade, according to Moody&#39;s.</p>
<p>And Detroit, the ratings agency says, would be&nbsp;particularly vulnerable to a shake-up in trade relations with Canada and Mexico&nbsp;because automakers there import auto parts and export finished cars.</p>
<p>North Dakota mainly exports oil and gas to NAFTA nations. For Texas and Vermont, computer and electronics products are top exports to Canada and Mexico. In Texas, chemicals are a leading export as well.</p>
<p>Moody&#39;s notes: &quot;Trade-dependent states and local governments would likely see declines in income tax and sales tax revenue in the event NAFTA is terminated, although the severity of the impact would depend on how high tariffs are and how long they are kept in place.&quot;</p>
<p>The ratings agency also points out that Texas&#39; economy and export base are more diversified compared to the other three states, which could&nbsp;provide some protection from any NAFTA backlash. And that, compared to Texas and North Dakota, Michigan and Vermont have lower budget reserves to help them withstand economic turbulence.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-nafta/next-round-of-nafta-talks-could-begin-april-8-mexican-minister-idUSKCN1GP2YF" target="_blank"><em>Reuters</em>&nbsp;reported</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that the next round of NAFTA negotiations is tentatively scheduled for April 8 in Washington. Negotiators completed a seventh round of talks earlier this month.</p>
<p>President Trump stressed the importance of quickly concluding the NAFTA negotiations during a call this week&nbsp;with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a White House summary of the conversation. The U.S., Canada and Mexico started renegotiating NAFTA last August.</p>
<p>Trump has for now exempted Canada and Mexico from aluminum and steel tariffs <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/us/politics/trump-tariff-announcement.html" target="_blank">he authorized last week</a>. But he indicated that maintaining the exemptions could depend on how NAFTA talks play out.</p>
<p>Last week, during remarks at the White House, the president&nbsp;said if there is no deal on NAFTA, he would &quot;terminate&quot; the trade pact.</p>
<p>&quot;And that will be the end of it,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president" target="_blank">won</a> North Dakota&nbsp;and Texas by comfortable margins in the 2016 presidential election. In Michigan, he <a href="http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/2016GEN_CENR.html" target="_blank">defeated</a> Democrat Hillary Clinton by only a fraction of a percentage point. He lost in Vermont.</p>
<p>A Fitch Ratings Inc. report last year <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2017/08/michigan-nafta-states-economic-impact/140692/" target="_blank">mirrored</a> Moody&#39;s findings and&nbsp;said Michigan was the state with the most to lose if&nbsp;NAFTA is drastically overhauled or&nbsp;if the U.S. exits the deal.</p>
<p>While visiting Washington last month, the&nbsp;Republican&nbsp;governors of Michigan and North Dakota <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/02/governors-north-dakota-michigan-nafta/146202/" target="_blank">voiced&nbsp;concerns</a>&nbsp;about the prospect of NAFTA falling apart, as&nbsp;<em>Route Fifty</em>&nbsp;reported at the time.&nbsp;But the governors&nbsp;also said the agreement could benefit from updates.</p>Bill LuciaThu, 15 Mar 2018 17:44:53 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/moodys-states-most-vulnerable-nafta-exit/146702/FinanceA docked container ship at the Port of Montreal, in Canada, during 2015.shutterstockThe Perfect Selfishness of Mapping Appshttp://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/perfect-selfishness-mapping-apps/146712/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/google_maps/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>What is the price of anarchy?</p>
<p>Technically, in transportation engineering, the price of anarchy describes the difference between what happens when every driver selfishly picks the fastest route and what the socially optimal traffic outcome would be.</p>
<p>In the pre-mobile-app days, drivers&rsquo; selfishness was limited by their knowledge of the road network. In those conditions, both simulation and real-world experience showed that most people stuck to the freeways and arterial roads. Sure, there were always people who knew the crazy, back-road route, but the bulk of people just stuck to the routes that transportation planners had designated as the preferred way to get from A to B.</p>
<p>Now, however, a new information layer is destroying the nudging infrastructure that traffic planners built into cities. Commuters armed with mobile mapping apps, route-following Lyft and Uber drivers, and software-optimized truckers can all act with a more perfect selfishness.</p>
<p>In some happy universe, this would lead to socially optimal outcomes, too. But a new body of research at the University of California&rsquo;s Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that the reality is far more complicated. In some scenarios, traffic-beating apps might work for an individual, but make congestion worse overall. And autonomous vehicles, touted as an answer to traffic-y streets, could deepen the problem.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This problem has been vastly overlooked,&rdquo; Alexandre Bayen, the director of UC Berkeley&rsquo;s Institute of Transportation Studies, told me. &ldquo;It is just the beginning of something that is gonna be much worse.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Bayen and a team of researchers&nbsp;<a href="https://trid.trb.org/view/1495267">presented their work earlier this year</a>&nbsp;at the Transportation Research Board&rsquo;s annual meeting and at&nbsp;<a href="https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/why-traffic-apps-make-congestion-worse">the Cal Future conference</a>&nbsp;at Berkeley in May 2017. They&rsquo;ve also published work examining the&nbsp;<a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7795614/">negative externalities</a>&nbsp;of high levels of automatic routing.</p>
<p>In the Cal Future talk, Bayen walked through a simulation created in the commercial-transportation simulator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aimsun.com/">Aimsun</a>. The video below shows how the flow of a freeway changes in response to an accident under two conditions: when no drivers use routing apps and when only 20 percent of drivers use routing apps. When there are more app-using drivers, congestion builds up at off-ramps, creating more traffic on the freeway.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The situation then gets much worse because hundreds of people just like you want to go on the side streets, which were never designed to handle the traffic,&rdquo; Bayen says. &ldquo;So, now, in addition to congesting the freeway, you&rsquo;ve also congested the side streets and the intersections.&rdquo;</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-youtube"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NOkYK2yuyeM?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NOkYK2yuyeM?wmode=transparent"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p>While it&rsquo;s clear that traffic on local roads gets worse with the use of these apps, Bayen said that nobody has managed to do a multi-scale analysis that can determine if the apps, even if they create local problems, are better or worse for whole traffic basins.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the adoption and use of these apps continues to grow, too, Bayen said. Over the last 10 years, traffic-routing apps have become a standard accessory for the driving public.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/29/us-smartphone-use/">According to a 2015 Pew survey</a>, 90 percent of Americans with smartphones use maps for driving directions at least some of the time. As smartphone penetration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/201183/forecast-of-smartphone-penetration-in-the-us/">reaches up above 70 percent</a>, a vast number of people now have access to real-time traffic data on their phones. The driving public is better informed about routes and road conditions than ever before.</p>
<p>In many local neighborhoods, residents have complained about increased traffic volumes. Bayen&rsquo;s team has been gathering stories from around California of resident complaints and found dozens in even a short time window, as shown in the map below.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned normal"><img alt="" class="normal" height="475" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/15/ee7b2f444.png" width="700" />
<figcaption>Specific areas where traffic problems on side streets have been reported in the press (<a href="https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/FileUpload/index?conferenceID=4&amp;filename=18-02304_CP01_10172017082400.pdf">Bayen</a>)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bayen&rsquo;s team showed that their concerns are real. In the chart below&nbsp;<a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7795614/">from a 2016 presentation</a>, drivers who are routed by mapping applications spend many more minutes on &ldquo;low-capacity roads,&rdquo; which is to say side streets.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/15/f5c948474.gif" />
<figcaption>As more people use smartphone mapping apps, they spend more time on side streets. (<a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7795614/">Bayen</a>)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But the Berkeley research suggests there could be a deeper, broader issue. A few people using route-planning maps makes things better, but&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;of people using them might force a deterioration of driving conditions. It is a very 2018 version of Garrett Hardin&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full">tragedy of the commons</a>,&rdquo; where we, ourselves, are the cattle, the mapping software is the herdsman, and the roads are the common pasture. Nonetheless, the outcome is the same. In transportation-engineering terms, it could be that routing apps&nbsp;increase&nbsp;the price of anarchy.</p>
<p>That said, they have not proven this yet. While it&rsquo;s clear that these apps can put stress on local side streets, we still don&rsquo;t know what effect they may have on highways, or for traffic systems as a whole. &ldquo;This is an open problem,&rdquo; said Bayen. &ldquo;Hence, we need to be very cautious in our conclusions.&rdquo;</p>
<p>They&rsquo;re building on pioneering work by researchers like Hani Mahmassani into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hani_Mahmassani/publication/243766915_System_Optimal_Dynamic_Assignment_for_Electronic_Route_Guidance_in_a_Congested_Traffic_Network/links/5759a99c08aed884620b2260.pdf">role of real-time information</a>in shaping traffic conditions. In 1991, Mahmassani challenged what he took to be &ldquo;possible misconceptions that information will automatically lead to improvements in traffic conditions.&rdquo; He was not alone. That same year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/019126079190146H">other researchers</a>&nbsp;noted that &ldquo;information can cause drivers to change their departure times in such a way as to exacerbate congestion.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Nonetheless, most of this early work showed that when the percentage of drivers with access to information was&nbsp;low, there was a major benefit for better-informed drivers. So, in the early days of Waze and Google Maps and automated routing at UPS, many individuals&nbsp;did&nbsp;experience substantial benefits from these applications. The roads, as a whole, were probably also flowing better.</p>
<p>But as more and more users become informed through these apps, this line of research suggests that their benefits for users and nonusers could disappear.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Google Maps strives to accurately model and reflect the ever-changing real world. Our algorithm takes a number of different factors into account when creating routes, including aggregated and anonymized historical data,&rdquo; a Google spokesperson told me. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re constantly working to improve our algorithm in order to provide users with the best directions on Google Maps.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Lyft and Uber declined to comment. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>Bayen does, in fact, have a suggestion for improving these apps, but the companies might not like it. He thinks the apps should spread out drivers on different routes intentionally, which would require collaboration among the mapping apps. Given the cutthroat nature of competition in Silicon Valley, that&rsquo;s a tough sell, but it might help bring down the price of anarchy.</p>Alexis Madrigal, The AtlanticThu, 15 Mar 2018 16:49:56 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/perfect-selfishness-mapping-apps/146712/Smart CitiesShutterstockInternet for All: Principles for Building Constituent-First Municipal Broadband Networkshttp://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/internet-all-principles-building-constituent-first-municipal-broadband-networks/146709/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/chattanooga_building/medium.jpg"
alt="Chattanooga, Tennessee"
title="Chattanooga, Tennessee"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This is the second in two contributed articles on broadband access and local government&rsquo;s role in building better connectivity for its citizens. Read the first one <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/why-cities-should-jump-chance-add-cell-towers-streetlights/146706/">here</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO &mdash; The future of the internet is in jeopardy.</p>
<p>Late last year, the Federal Communications Commission <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-takes-action-restore-internet-freedom">announced</a> its decision to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, which sought to ensure that all internet traffic was treated equally. In doing so, the agency opened the floodgates for Internet service providers to block content and throttle speeds for particular sites, while offering preferential functionality for their own products. Ultimately, this enables giant telecommunications companies to increase their already-generous profit margins, while consumers suffer.</p>
<p>The controversial decision to roll back net neutrality inspired action nationwide: more than a dozen state legislators <a href="http://www.govtech.com/network/A-Flood-of-Net-Neutrality-Bills-Have-Been-Launched-in-State-Legislatures.html">have now introduced bills</a> that would protect their constituents&rsquo; ability to communicate freely online, while <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/16/more-than-20-states-are-suing-the-federal-communications-commission-over-its-net-neutrality-decision/?utm_term=.c6179f3a21be">numerous states</a> have responded by suing the federal government. Meanwhile, concerned citizens across the country&mdash;from Philadelphia to Harrison, Arkansas&mdash;are <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/8/16751244/net-neutrality-verizon-protests-photos-fight-for-the-future">taking to the streets</a> to fight back. Some are even <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/media/364959-cnn-headline-declares-end-of-the-internet-as-we-know-it-after-net-neutrality">declaring</a> the &ldquo;end of the Internet as we know it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Net neutrality&rsquo;s intentions were certainly commendable but unfortunately, conversations surrounding this now-defunct rule often fail to recognize one of its primary shortcomings. Unfortunately, net neutrality was never a panacea, and was ill-equipped to address one of the most prevalent issues relating to internet in the U.S.: equal access. Despite the pivotal role that the internet plays in most Americans&rsquo; lives, and its reputation as a great democratizer, the aforementioned rules were unable to ensure that its delivery was as widespread and reliable as electricity and water.</p>
<p>The problem is simple: a lack of open markets. Proponents of net neutrality repeal often claim that deregulation stimulates infrastructure investment and innovation, but we&rsquo;ve seen <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/verizon-wont-be-using-tax-cut-to-boost-spending-on-network-upgrades/">little evidence</a> of that so far. In reality, it stands to galvanize the existing stronghold that cable giants wield over the internet&mdash;and it doesn&rsquo;t look as though that status quo is working too well for the American consumer.</p>
<p>While corporate profits <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/022b067e-00ff-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5">soar</a>, troubling <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-6A1.pdf">statistics</a> indicate that 10 percent of American households have no access to high-speed broadband (defined as 25 Mbps). Meanwhile, 51 percent have just one choice of provider. Those who <em>do </em>have access to internet pay considerably more than their foreign counterparts &ndash; <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/oti/policy-papers/the-cost-of-connectivity-2014/">research suggests</a> that the U.S. lags behind several other nations when it comes to speed and affordability. In fact, residents of many major American cities <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/oti/policy-papers/the-cost-of-connectivity-2014/">stand to pay <em>double</em></a> the amount that internet users in London, Seoul, Bucharest, and Paris would shell out for similar, 25 Mbps service.</p>
<p>These are admittedly disheartening numbers, but it&rsquo;s not all bad news: there are trailblazing cities and communities across the country banding together to solve this critical issue and build their own internet infrastructures. <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/san-francisco-municipal-fiber/">San Francisco</a> and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-wants-new-ideas-on-providing-internet-access-1510635662">New York</a> are among the largest, but communities large and small are taking action. To name a few:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Chattanooga, Tennessee</strong>, &ldquo;the city that was saved by the Internet,&rdquo; invested approximately $390 million in smart grid and broadband initiatives. The city&rsquo;s been wired with 1 gigabit-per-second fiber-optic Internet service for seven years, and has seen more than <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/chattanooga-was-a-typical-post-industrial-city-then-it-began-offering-municipal-broadband/">$865 million in economic growth</a> as a result.</li>
<li><strong>Wilson, North Carolina</strong> became the first city in the state to build an independent, locally-owned and operated broadband &ldquo;Fiber to the Home&rdquo; service.</li>
<li>In 2013, almost two-thirds of voters in <strong>Longmont, Colorado</strong> approved $45 million in bonds to deploy city-wide broadband, improving Internet speeds and lowering prices.</li>
<li>Just a few months ago, voters in <strong>Fort Collins, Colorado </strong>approved a proposal to issue up to $150 million in bonds to build out a broadband network that is city-owned and operated.</li>
</ul>
<p>Internet access is a movement that&rsquo;s gaining increased support and, as it advances, so emerges the idea that cities are, quite possibly, the only entities capable of providing truly egalitarian access to the Internet. How? By building municipal broadband networks and, in the process, rendering almost irrelevant the questions of anti-competitive, anti-consumer controls by oligopolistic players.</p>
<p>As the concept of municipal broadband gains momentum, the next question is: &ldquo;How can the model be replicated effectively, and at scale?&rdquo; Many models are starting to emerge&mdash;from public-private partnerships, to a full retail service model, to open access networks, where the city owns the network but generally allows a marketplace of providers to offer their services.</p>
<p>Make no mistake, the model that a community chooses is a critical decision that could radically affect the outcomes for constituents.</p>
<p>But, given that there are so many models for internet access&mdash;and so many providers who have a vested interest in advancing one model over another&mdash;it&rsquo;s important to have some grounding principles to evaluate the merits of each, and subsequently assess whether they represent a true fit for a community.</p>
<p>For municipal broadband to become ubiquitous, reliable and affordable to the extent that delivery of water or electricity to our homes is, we must build these networks from the ground up&mdash;with every last constituent in mind. This requires an established set of principles that guides the ownership, construction, and operation of truly egalitarian municipal broadband networks&mdash;and that&rsquo;s precisely why we&rsquo;ve compiled &ldquo;Neighborly&rsquo;s Principles for Building Municipal Broadband Networks.&rdquo; As we plan for the future of internet access, these six considerations are intended to serve as a stimulus for fruitful, constructive, and energizing conversations with communities across the country.</p>
<p><strong>Access to the internet must be universal and equal by design.</strong></p>
<p>The internet, as it exists today, provides unprecedented opportunities to expand access to information and improve communication. But communities must unite behind fixing what is broken &ndash; access. A municipal broadband strategy must be bigger and more ambitious than the mere provision of faster internet. This means that the network should not dictate or limit services offered to the users &ndash; in this case, residents. Access should be provided equally to all corners of the community, and not merely represent the best interests of the service provider.</p>
<p><strong>Broadband infrastructure should be locally owned and controlled, and separated from service provision.</strong></p>
<p>Broadband infrastructure is, like water pipes and the electrical grid, a natural monopoly and should be organized as a utility. However, Neighborly believes that infrastructure and services should be separated to enable choice and competition among service providers, empowering individuals to select the service that best meets their needs. The price of infrastructure should be cost-driven, and no single ISP should be given preferential access.</p>
<p><strong>Services should not be included as part of the utility, and should be open to competition.</strong></p>
<p>With a separate service layer, there exists tremendous potential for a competitive marketplace to thrive on top of publicly-owned infrastructure. The private sector can openly and easily deliver services with lower barriers to entry and across geographic boundaries. Communities can choose to operate their own ISPs alongside private sector players, but all ISPs should compete on service quality to elevate standards and speeds. The price of services should be market-driven, within the context of broader access goals.</p>
<p><strong>Networks should be software defined rather than hardware defined, to maximize flexibility and future-proofing.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Network virtualization&rdquo; can replace some of the hardware&mdash;upon which internet access has traditionally relied &mdash;with software, enabling multiple providers to offer their services through the same hardware. Virtualization means consumers can choose specialized services from more than one provider at a time over the virtual network. This reduces costs for ISPs trying to break into a market and increases competition amongst providers &ndash; ultimately lowering the costs for consumers.</p>
<p><strong>Investment in broadband infrastructure adds value to property, just like other utilities.</strong></p>
<p>Property owners stabilize the real estate market and preserve property value. They also understand that core elements of a functional infrastructure network&mdash;maintained roads, clean water, reliable power, and a functioning sewer system&mdash;all contribute to the value of their property. Similarly, investment in faster, more reliable, and cheaper internet is an investment in the value of a property, and property owners should also be an owner of the broadband infrastructure.</p>
<p><strong>The success of a network in solving the Digital Divide can, and should, be measured.</strong></p>
<p>With centrally organized infrastructure, cities can track access and quality of service provided to all constituents in a community. This enables cities to evaluate in real time whether the entire community is being served equally. Communities should encourage service providers to use models that maximize access, and disseminate transparent data pertaining to access so that the whole community can identify areas for improvement, and work together to solve them.</p>
<p>The open internet represents a powerful equalizing force, one without which it is increasingly hard to conduct business, communicate effectively, or reach for new opportunities. Even the United Nations now deems it a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/4/12092740/un-resolution-condemns-disrupting-internet-access">fundamental human right</a> and, as a leading world economy, the United States should be leading its democratization by fostering the expansion of a robust infrastructure that encourages true competition and collaboration to stimulate economic growth. The internet is fundamental to the new American Dream, and we should be delivering on this promise by ensuring affordable access to the consumers that stand to realize its limitless benefits.</p>Garrett Brinker, Special to Route FiftyThu, 15 Mar 2018 16:24:14 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/internet-all-principles-building-constituent-first-municipal-broadband-networks/146709/Smart CitiesChattanooga, TennesseeShutterstockWhy Cities Should Jump at the Chance to Add Cell Towers to Streetlightshttp://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/why-cities-should-jump-chance-add-cell-towers-streetlights/146706/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/streetlight_workers/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This is the first in two contributed articles on broadband access and local government&rsquo;s role in building better connectivity for its citizens. Read the second one <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/internet-all-principles-building-constituent-first-municipal-broadband-networks/146709/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. &mdash; &nbsp;Numerous state lawmakers are filing bills to encourage or even compel large cities to incorporate cell towers into existing municipal infrastructures. Not everyone is sold on the proposition.</p>
<p>Wireless carriers want to install miniature cell towers on utility poles and streetlights to keep up with fifth-generation&mdash;commonly known as 5G&mdash;cell phone technology. Carriers plan to install more than 250,000 small cell sites across the U.S. in the next few years, but they require broad access to public property in order to proceed. Legislators have introduced <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/04/11/522246173/wireless-industry-lobbies-statehouses-for-access-to-street-furniture">wireless siting bills in 25 states so far this year</a>, with hopes to begin work on installations in 2018.</p>
<p>In Illinois, for instance, legislation intended to streamline this process has enjoyed a cold reception. The Small Cell Wireless Bill passed the Illinois House and Senate during the 2017 veto session, though State Senate President John Cullerton decided to <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-small-cell-bill-st-1116-20171116-story.html">hold the legislation</a> after public outcry from area communities. Policymakers said they hoped to negotiate with local officials who have <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-tower-issue-st-1219-20171218-story.html">called on Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto the bill</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, both sides of this ongoing debate have been clashing in California <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/wireless-carriers-small-cell-push-hits-california-roadblock-1508239989">Gov. Jerry Brown late last year vetoed a bill</a> that would have made it easier for telecommunications companies to install the small transmitters on public property. Brown argued the permitting process for new technology must be weighed against the right of local governments to manage public property under their jurisdiction.</p>
<p>Skeptics claim these small cell sites will be more of an eyesore than an asset, but city dwellers should welcome this beneficial blend of private tech and public property.</p>
<p><strong>A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships</strong></p>
<p>Opponents argue that this integration of street furniture and tech will harm community aesthetics and historical preservation. Local and state representatives who oppose the legislation, however, will cause self-inflicted wounds to the long-term prosperity of their communities.</p>
<p>By <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602440/atts-plan-to-hack-the-electrical-grid-to-provide-cheap-wireless-broadband/">attaching small cell antennas to streetlights</a> and other street furniture, carriers will be able to use 5G technology to deliver wireless data much more effectively. Wireless customers in affected areas will enjoy improved coverage, fewer dropped calls, and faster download speeds.</p>
<p>5G technology saw an informal test in Minneapolis during Super Bowl LII, after Verizon crews <a href="http://www.nbc15.com/content/news/Cell-service-wont-slow-to-keep-up-with-Super-Bowl-social-media--472515013.html">installed 250 of the small cell sites</a> throughout downtown Minneapolis to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of out-of-town visitors for the big game. The stadium itself was blanketed in wireless signals, with antennas hidden in everything from handrails to small boxes scattered among the stadium&#39;s seats.</p>
<p>As 5G technology gains traction, wireless carriers hope to eventually supplant cable as the primary provider of home internet service. Speeds on 5G networks are better than traditional cable internet, and the wireless service can compete with high-end fiber networks. Homes within reach of these small cell sites would no longer require wired connections, but the infrastructure for this sort of network does not exist in many communities. As a solution, carriers want to pepper small cell antennas on existing street furniture.</p>
<p>Critics contend the wireless industry&#39;s initiative will roll back public efforts to expand broadband access to underserved and rural areas. In truth, the push to install cell antennas on public furniture would actually support these efforts by forcing cable providers to bolster their infrastructure and reduce their rates in order to remain competitive.</p>
<p><a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/communications-infrastructure-upgrade-deep-fiber-imperative.html">According to Deloitte</a>, the U.S. must spend more than $100 billion over the next five to seven years to support fiber infrastructure demands. Wireless providers can ease this burden by densifying their networks, increasing consumer access along the way. Carriers would partner with municipalities to design, permit, and construct saturated wireless networks, benefitting all parties involved.</p>
<p>Residents want improved connectivity, but they fear unsightly additions to city structures. To mitigate this aesthetic issue, cities should require companies to shroud antennas and install non-transmitting equipment below ground.</p>
<p>In exchange, cities should agree to give wireless carriers and cable companies a free market in which to solve the digital divide. To build seamless networks, wireless companies will need to serve all high-density areas &mdash; including impoverished districts. By simplifying the installation and permitting processes, cities will be able to facilitate better services for their citizens with minimal effort.</p>
<p><strong>Leaping from Legislation to Implementation</strong></p>
<p>Before this technology can change things for the better, local leaders must modify municipal policies and procedures. Steep lease rates for cell towers on private property inflate the operating expenses of wireless carriers. Low-cost access to public street furniture would remedy this issue, reducing operating expenses for carriers and freeing up capital for infrastructure improvements and denser networks.</p>
<p>Many municipalities lack defined fee structures and approval processes for the corporate use of public property. By creating straightforward licensing procedures, cities can help carriers plan ahead for new networks. Public works departments should interfere as little as possible, only stopping proposals that overstep the common sense of aesthetics and function. If cities keep rates fair and permitting reasonable, carriers can pass their savings on to customers.</p>
<p>Communities that oppose the installation of 5G technology on their assets risk falling behind other municipalities that cooperate with carriers. Technology-fueled startups and participants in the gig economy prefer areas with better technology. If one city is saturated with high-speed wireless service while another avoids upgrades, startups are more likely to flock to the city with the better technological offering.</p>
<p>Fast internet service is the lifeblood of the global economy. In nations with fewer regulations on wireless infrastructure, carriers provide denser networks with better service at lower costs. Without reliable, affordable access to these advanced systems, <a href="https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/reports/industry-at-risk">American communities will trail behind</a> their global counterparts.</p>
<p>To remain globally competitive, government officials must work with the wireless industry to rethink commercial access to public assets. By cooperating with carriers on permitting and reasonable use rates, municipalities can create room for compromise on the shrouding and location of new equipment. Opening city hall for business will create new economic opportunities for wireless generations to come.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO on <em>Route Fifty</em>:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/local-officials-fcc-5g/146703/">Local Officials to FCC: We&#39;re Not the Ones Impeding 5G</a></strong></li>
</ul>Michael Gleason and Kevin Muldoon, Special to Route FiftyThu, 15 Mar 2018 16:00:19 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/why-cities-should-jump-chance-add-cell-towers-streetlights/146706/Smart CitiesShutterstockLocal Officials to FCC: We’re Not the Ones Impeding 5Ghttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/local-officials-fcc-5g/146703/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/fcc/medium.jpeg"
alt="Federal Communications Commission Chairmnnouan Ajit Pai, center, next to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, left, and Commissioner Michael O&#39;Rielly in December in Washington, D.C."
title="Federal Communications Commission Chairmnnouan Ajit Pai, center, next to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, left, and Commissioner Michael O&#39;Rielly in December in Washington, D.C."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>A group of 36 local elected officials, mostly mayors, sent a <a href="http://nextcenturycities.org/wp-content/uploads/NCC-Mayoral-Letter-to-FCC-FINAL.pdf">letter</a> to the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday criticizing <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/5g-preemption-coming/146490/">its efforts</a> to undercut their jurisdictions&rsquo; oversight of 5G deployment.</p>
<p>Additionally, independent researcher RVA LLC surveyed 176 local government employees and found 44 percent of their communities had already deployed small cells, with 26 percent considering doing so.</p>
<p>The officials pointed to the <a href="http://nextcenturycities.org/wp-content/uploads/5Gresearch.pdf">findings</a> as proof local governments aren&rsquo;t impeding rapid 5G deployment <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/5g-broadband-senate-commerce-subcommittee/146641/">sought by the U.S. wireless industry</a> in its race with China, a narrative perpetuated by several FCC commissioners. One of three Republicans on the commission, Michael O&rsquo;Rielly called for preemption of localities &ldquo;trying to extract a bounty&rdquo; from wireless carriers over 5G.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very disappointing the commissioners appear to think we&rsquo;re trying to find a cash cow here or something,&rdquo; said Ponca City, Oklahoma Mayor Homer Nicholson, who signed the letter, on a call with reporters. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like for the commissioners to be a little bit more informed before they make those types of comments.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Where a line was drawn by the signatories&mdash;among them the mayors of San Jos&eacute;, California; Austin, Texas; and Seattle&mdash;was with the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee&rsquo;s draft rules lessening what carriers pay jurisdictions for use of public rights of way. San Jos&eacute; Mayor Sam Liccardo <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/01/san-jose-mayor-sam-liccardo-fcc-resignation/145500/">recently resigned from the BDAC</a> over its lack of local government representation.</p>
<p>Of the local government employees surveyed, 84 percent characterized proposed state legislation regulating small cell poll use as negative for their communities, 59 percent were concerned about state laws preempting cities, and 52 percent said the same of federal regulations.</p>
<p>&ldquo;By failing to charge a reasonable fee to companies wanting to use public space, such low limits are a de facto subsidization of private business by local taxpayers,&rdquo; reads the letter. &ldquo;Some communities are finding that the increased number of small cell applications and permits require the hiring of additional staff, and when combined with the limits on compensation, this will likely result in further subsidization.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Local governments further pushed back against against the notion they&rsquo;re slowing investment in 5G and wireline investment, citing model agreements made with wireless carriers in Boston and Lincoln, Nebraska&mdash;&ldquo;successful approaches&rdquo; banned in states like Florida. The Sunshine State sees local governments compensated $150 per location per year compared to the national median $1,200 lease rate, according to the survey.</p>
<p>Instead the local officials&rsquo; letter urged the FCC to encourage new broadband investment and review the make-ready process in the case of fiber network deployments.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re able to accomplish much more at cheaper prices if we&rsquo;re able to control some of the mechanisms in our city,&rdquo; said Ammon, Idaho Mayor Sean Coletti.</p>
<p>Ammon developed an open-access system delivering affordable municipal fiber to the home in partnership with internet service providers.</p>
<p>Small cell deployment correlates with that of fiber, per the survey, with 95 percent of communities exceeding 500,000 residents at least considering installation of 5G technology if fiber was already in place. By contrast, only 21 percent of communities with less than 50,000 residents and no fiber reported movement on 5G.</p>
<p>Fayetteville, Arkansas recently passed a broadband infrastructure ordinance after conferring with six different providers on permitting parameters that stressed aesthetics.</p>
<p>Citizens complained about the look of the infrastructure in 58 percent of communities, according the survey, while 42 percent worried about safety issues&mdash;lopsided polls being one example.</p>
<p>&ldquo;All providers agreed to keep our city&rsquo;s character intact,&rdquo; said Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan, though he worried state preemption might ultimately undo the deal.</p>Dave NyczepirThu, 15 Mar 2018 15:38:03 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/local-officials-fcc-5g/146703/Tech & DataFederal Communications Commission Chairmnnouan Ajit Pai, center, next to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, left, and Commissioner Michael O'Rielly in December in Washington, D.C.Jacquelyn Martin / AP PhotoIs Your County Elections Clerk Ready for Russian Hackers?http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/county-elections-clerk-russian-hackers/146696/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/ballot_machine/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/15/is-your-county-elections-clerk-ready-for-russian-hackers">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by&nbsp;Matt Vasilogambros.</em></p>
<p>The weakest link in any local voting system is that one county clerk who&rsquo;s been on the job for three days and opens up an email file that could take down the whole system.</p>
<p>The head of every U.S. intelligence agency says Russia attempted to penetrate elections systems nationwide during the 2016 presidential election, and will try again during this year&rsquo;s midterm elections.</p>
<p>In a decentralized election system with more than 10,000 separate jurisdictions, the onus for security is on local officials.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That keeps me awake at night,&rdquo; said Nancy Blankenship, the clerk for Deschutes County, Oregon.</p>
<p>Blankenship, like thousands of other county clerks, is the chief elections official for her area. It&rsquo;s not so much the threat of foreign hackers changing votes that concerns Blankenship&mdash;Oregon is not only a vote-by-mail state, but also does its ballot counting without an internet connection&mdash;it&rsquo;s the possibility that hacking could undermine public confidence in the system.</p>
<p>There are three major local cybersecurity threats during elections, said Maurice Turner, a senior technologist at the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington, D.C.:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hackers could break into statewide, online voter registration databases to either steal personal information or change names, addresses or party affiliation to create confusion and discourage participation on Election Day.</li>
<li>Hackers could attack a county website, taking it offline so that people could not see results after polls close.</li>
<li>Hackers could take over social media accounts to broadcast false results from official sources, or announce falsely that polls are closing earlier or later than normal.</li>
</ul>
<p>As election officials conduct primaries and prepare for the midterms in November, they must understand and meet security challenges so voters are confident in the election process, Turner said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We know we have an adversary that has a known interest and capability to make that threat a reality.&rdquo;</p>
<p>All it takes is one clerk clicking on a link in one apparently legitimate email for a hacker to penetrate a county or state system. So-called phishing attempts&mdash;where hackers might gain passwords, usernames or personal information through unwitting officials&mdash;are becoming more and more sophisticated, Turner said. It&rsquo;s a race between local information technology departments and hackers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Most people respond to phishing very well,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;But there will always be a small number of people who will click on the links regardless of their training. And once an intruder breaks into the system, they may linger for several days or months.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>How Local Officials Respond</strong></p>
<p>Despite the threat, many local officials are confident in their ability to keep a voting system safe from hackers.</p>
<p>Sara May-Silfee, the director of elections for Monroe County, a community of 170,000 in eastern Pennsylvania, said she knows her county is secure, even if her state was one of 21 states&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/russians-penetrated-u-s-voter-systems-says-top-u-s-n845721?cid=eml_nbn_20180207">targeted by Russian hackers</a>&nbsp;in 2016.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t even begin to tell you how they&rsquo;d hack us,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Nothing is hooked up to anything. How could anybody hack us? I&rsquo;m not worried about anything. Sometimes it seems like a lot of hullabaloo.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A potential breach by hackers has never been brought up in Election Day training for Monroe County, said Andi McClanahan, who has served as a judge of elections for her ward for the last six years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The issue has never been spoken about,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;which now I&rsquo;m thinking is problematic with the current issues we are facing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While hacking attempts failed in Pennsylvania, they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/09/23/what-we-know-about-the-21-states-targeted-by-russian-hackers/?utm_term=.6441e2289ff4">were successful</a>&nbsp;in Illinois, as hackers in 2016 accessed registration data for as many as 90,000 voters. Officials, though, say the hackers&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-illinois-state-board-of-elections-hack-update-met-0830-20160829-story.html">did not</a>&nbsp;erase or modify any records.</p>
<p>Adam Weiner, who served as a poll worker in his South Loop neighborhood in Chicago during the 2014 midterm elections, said if a voter roll had been compromised by hackers, &ldquo;it would have ground everything to a halt.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;It was just not questioned that the data there was accurate,&rdquo; Weiner said. &ldquo;If we can&rsquo;t trust the list, how can people vote?&rdquo;</p>
<p>David Bjerke, the director of elections and general registrar of voters for Falls Church, Virginia, a Washington suburb, said if registration information is changed, voters should still cast provisional ballots, because officials can verify the eligibility of voters by going back to check paper registration records. Voters, he said, should check their registration status well before Election Day. And if the option is available, they should vote by mail or vote early so they can discover a potential problem with time to spare.</p>
<p>According to U.S. officials, Russian hackers have not changed ballot counts. And as more systems&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/10/03/russian-hacking-fuels-return-to-paper-ballots">move toward paper ballots</a>&nbsp;and away from digital voting machines, the risk of hackers manipulating vote counts decreases.</p>
<p>&ldquo;At no time was the voting process from a tabulation or count perspective in jeopardy,&rdquo; said Chris Chambless, the supervisor of elections for Clay County, Florida. &ldquo;People hear there was an attempt to change the results of the election. And that was never in play.&rdquo;</p>
<p>But Chambless, whose county outside of Jacksonville has sophisticated network security, is still concerned about &ldquo;zero-day malware,&rdquo; viruses so new that security systems cannot detect them. Florida also was targeted by hackers in 2016.</p>
<p><strong>Where Is the Support?</strong></p>
<p>For more than a year now, after designating election infrastructure as critical, the federal government has begun working with states to assess the security of their voting systems. But officials say they need more resources to get cybersecurity experts in offices, to increase audits and to update equipment.</p>
<p>A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate, which would provide $386 million in federal grants to state election security, has stalled. The bill&rsquo;s author, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/16/states-move-protect-voting-systems-russia-little-help-congress/338411002/">said in February</a>&nbsp;that more than 40 states rely on a voting system that is at least a decade old.</p>
<p>The U.S. State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/state-department-russia-global-engagement-center.html">has not spent a dime</a>&nbsp;of the $120 million it was allocated after 2016 to fight Russian election meddling. And for his part, President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/27/trump-russia-hackers-nsa-response-368241">has not told</a>&nbsp;intelligence agencies to stop Russian attempts to target U.S. election systems.</p>
<p>So, many local and state leaders are tackling security alone. Travis County, Texas, which surrounds Austin, brought in academics&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/travis-county-best-bet-election-hacking/">to develop a system</a>&nbsp;that encrypts votes and stores them in a secure database. The system would allow for efficient auditing. Similar programs are in place in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and California is looking to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article203715364.html">replace its aging equipment</a>.</p>
<p>Local election officials now need to be cybersecurity officials. But they have always had to be wary of misinformation campaigns.</p>
<p>In Bend, Oregon, Blankenship never thought she would have to fend off Russian hackers. But she has been concerned about misinformation for the last 15 years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t necessarily need to come from another country,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It could come from another candidate to a voter who doesn&rsquo;t have the time to see whether the information is valid or not.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not new, that&rsquo;s politics.&rdquo;</p>Matt Vasilogambros, The Pew Charitable TrustsThu, 15 Mar 2018 11:18:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/county-elections-clerk-russian-hackers/146696/Tech & DataShutterstockMadison Square Garden Has Been Secretly Scanning Fans With Facial Recognitionhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/madison-square-garden-facial-recognition/146682/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/madison_square_garden/medium.jpg"
alt="Madison Square Garden"
title="Madison Square Garden"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>If you&rsquo;ve attended a concert or sporting event at Madison Square Garden recently, it&rsquo;s possible you&rsquo;ve been analyzed and recorded by a facial recognition system, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/sports/facial-recognition-madison-square-garden.html">report</a>&nbsp;from <em>The New York Times</em> finds.</p>
<p>Details are scarce, but the Times describes a system that records customers at the Manhattan arena and matches faces to a database to identify individuals and determine if they are &ldquo;considered a problem.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Facial recognition technology isn&rsquo;t illegal. Still, many privacy advocates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/face-recognition-technology">object</a>&nbsp;to the software&rsquo;s widespread use since it allows silent surveillance without consent.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Facial recognition can be used for general surveillance in combination with public video cameras, and it can be used in a passive way that doesn&rsquo;t require the knowledge, consent, or participation of the subject,&rdquo; the ACLU&nbsp;<a href="http://facial%20recognition%20can%20be%20used%20for%20general%20surveillance%20in%20combination%20with%20public%20video%20cameras%2C%20and%20it%20can%20be%20used%20in%20a%20passive%20way%20that%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20require%20the%20knowledge%2C%20consent%2C%20or%20participation%20of%20the%20subject./">writes</a>.</p>
<p>Private organizations like the Garden can also use the surveillance technology for more than security. The technology can theoretically track what fans purchase in the building or are specifically interested in, so they can be targeted with advertising.</p>
<p>While news articles coming from China&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/1067460/in-china-facial-recognition-is-used-to-buy-kfc-board-planes-and-catch-drug-users/">paint a picture</a>&nbsp;of government-funded companies funneling technology to an ever-watchful regime, the United States is seeing a more decentralized spread of the technology. It&rsquo;s being adopted piecemeal, by&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/1060606/the-age-of-ai-surveillance-is-here/">state DMVs</a>&nbsp;and independent entities like the Garden. Police departments are also beginning to test&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/950106/taser-tasr-renamed-axon-to-give-police-body-cameras-powered-with-ai-software-that-automates-reports/">body-worn cameras</a>&nbsp;with the capability of being used for facial recognition down the line.</p>
<p>Some companies, like Delta Air Lines, are even&nbsp;<a href="https://gizmodo.com/the-dystopian-surveillance-state-will-be-extremely-conv-1795223811">pitching as a convenience</a>.</p>Dave Gershgorn, QuartzThu, 15 Mar 2018 08:10:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/madison-square-garden-facial-recognition/146682/Tech & DataMadison Square GardenShutterstockNext Recession Could Leave New York’s MTA ‘Particularly Vulnerable’http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/next-recession-new-york-mta-particularly-vulnerable/146686/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/15/nyc_subway_passengers/medium.jpg"
alt="Commuters on the New York subway."
title="Commuters on the New York subway."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government news stories that caught Route Fifty&rsquo;s attention ...</em></p>
<p><strong>INFRASTRUCTURE | Moody&rsquo;s Investor Services </strong>delivered some unwelcome news regarding the fiscal stability of <strong>New York</strong>&rsquo;s <strong>Metropolitan Transportation Authority</strong>, the state agency that operates the <strong>New York City Subway</strong> and the <strong>Long Island</strong> and <strong>Metro-North</strong> commuter railroads: A recession would leave the agency &ldquo;<strong>particularly vulnerable</strong>,&rdquo; Moody&rsquo;s said on Wednesday. According to <strong>Baye Larsen</strong>, Moody&#39;s vice president and senior analyst: &ldquo;If steep fare increases and service cuts proved politically unpalatable, a recession scenario budget gap would require external support from MTA&#39;s parent government, the state, and key partners, the city and federal government.&rdquo; <strong>S&amp;P Global Ratings</strong> <strong>downgraded the MTA&rsquo;s bond rating</strong> from A+ to AA- on Monday. [<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/recession-derail-funding-mta-article-1.3874893"><em>New York Daily News</em></a>; <a href="https://www.amny.com/transit/congestion-pricing-budget-1.17391746"><em>amNY</em></a>]</p>
<p>In more bad news for the nation&rsquo;s most-populous city and metropolitan area, the <strong>Gateway Program</strong>&mdash;the package of rail tunnel, bridge and track improvements in <strong>New York City</strong> and <strong>New Jersey</strong> considered by many to be <strong>the nation&rsquo;s most pressing infrastructure need</strong>&mdash;continues to <strong>face opposition from President Trump</strong>. According to <strong>U.S. Rep. Peter King</strong>, <strong>Speaker Paul </strong><strong>Ryan</strong> &ldquo;described Trump as totally opposed to helping fund the $30 billion infrastructure project.&rdquo; The speaker doesn&rsquo;t want Gateway to cause Trump to veto an omnibus spending bill. [<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/14/ryan-gateway-money-trump-463815"><em>Politico</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>California State Assemblyman </strong><strong>Adrin Nazarian</strong> has introduced legislation to <strong>improve seismic building codes</strong> in the state so new buildings that are built in a way they&rsquo;re <strong>habitable and functional following a major earthquake</strong>. Current seismic codes in California are designed to prevent buildings from suffering catastrophic collapses during a major quake. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean that those structures won&rsquo;t sustain heavy damage. Nazarian&rsquo;s legislation is designed with <strong>long-term post-quake resiliency</strong> in mind. &quot;If new buildings need to be demolished and rebuilt, you can imagine that, in a place like downtown L.A., what a standstill the economy will come to, and how many years it will take to rebuild and how daunting and taxing it will be,&quot; the Los Angeles Democrat said. [<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-legislation-nazarian-20180313-story.html"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>]</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/15/oklahoma-capitol.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City (Shutterstock)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>STATE LEGISLATURES |</strong> Facing an <strong>April 2 strike deadline</strong> from teachers, <strong>Oklahoma</strong> senators on Wednesday night came close to securing <strong>a 12.7 percent pay increase for educators</strong> but failed to pass a tax package to pay for it. The <strong>Oklahoma Education Association</strong> argued that 12.7 percent proposal wasn&rsquo;t enough of an increase and the revenue plan that was floated &ldquo;<strong>simply wasn&#39;t good enough</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/state-senate-passes-percent-teacher-pay-raise-but-fails-to/article_6d7ff48b-2b7d-52f6-b31a-0c87c083e452.html"><em>Tulsa World</em></a>; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Oklahoma.Education.Association/posts/10157693329789848"><em>Oklahoma Education Association / Facebook</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>California </strong>state lawmakers will be considering net neutrality legislation that would be, &ldquo;<strong>the first state-level bill that would comprehensively secure all of the net neutrality protections that Americans currently enjoy</strong>,&rdquo; according to <strong>Stanford University</strong> law professor <strong>Barbara van Schewick</strong>. [<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/att-and-verizon-data-cap-exemptions-would-be-banned-by-california-bill/"><em>Ars Technica</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Delaware</strong> House lawmakers voted on Wednesday to move <strong>new gun-control bills</strong> from a committee to the full chamber for consideration. [<a href="https://delawarestatenews.net/government/gun-control-bills-advance-in-state-house-with-wide-support/"><em>Delaware State News</em></a>]</p>
<p>State lawmakers in <strong>Rhode Island</strong> are looking to take some of the sting out of local <strong>school-zone speed cameras</strong>. In a bill, first-time offenders would get a warning instead of a citation and camera warning signs would need flashing lights. [<a href="http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180314/house-speed-camera-bill-would-ease-driver-pain-in-providence"><em>Providence Journal</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>IT MANAGEMENT | </strong>State agencies in <strong>Oregon</strong> have been experiencing <strong>major problems with a phone system</strong> and state procurement officials have expressed their displeasure with <strong>IBM</strong>, the contractor that built and installed the system, called <strong>Project MUSIC</strong>. [<a href="http://www.wweek.com/news/state/2018/03/14/the-state-of-oregons-new-phone-system-doesnt-work-and-its-beginning-to-echo-previous-tech-fiascos/"><em>Willamette Week</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>LAW ENFORCEMENT |</strong> <strong>Oklahoma Attorney General </strong><strong>Mike Hunter</strong> and <strong>Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh</strong> announced Wednesday that the Sooner State would turn to <strong>nitrogen hypoxia</strong> <strong>for executions</strong> in the death penalty chamber. If the method withstands legal challenges, Oklahoma would be <strong>the first state to use inert gas inhalation</strong> in executions. [<a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/2018/03/14/with-nitrogen-executions-oklahoma-enters-uncharted-waters/"><em>Oklahoma Watch</em></a>; <a href="http://newsok.com/oklahoma-ag-corrections-chief-to-discuss-executions/article/5587039"><em>The Oklahoman</em></a>]</p>
<p>Two police agencies in the <strong>Atlanta</strong> area have released separate sketches of <strong>a man accused of impersonating a police officer</strong> and <strong>sexually assaulting drivers during traffic stops</strong>. Because there are two sketches, one released by the <strong>Atlanta Police Department</strong> and another from the<strong> Cobb County Police Department</strong>, there may be two different men involved in the crimes. But it may be just one person, too. &ldquo;We tend to notice different things when it comes to facial recognition of people,&rdquo; said Cobb County Police <strong>Sgt. Wayne Delk</strong>. [<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/sketches-released-fake-cop-suspects-but-the-same-man/qtmjavXKvC1K5SZgM8yEqM/"><em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>LAND DISPUTE | </strong>A <strong>Virginia</strong> man is undeterred in his claim that he owns an island that sank below the waters off <strong>North Carolina</strong>&rsquo;s <strong>Outer Banks</strong>. <strong>Ken Barlow</strong> says that part of what was <strong>Shelly Island</strong> has now merged with <strong>Cape Point</strong>. &ldquo;I will NEVER relinquish what I own to the National Park Service. I will defend that property with the necessary force to repel invaders, such as the NPS.... Dare County Records of Deeds says I own this property. End of story,&rdquo; Barlow said in a email to <em>The Charlotte Observer</em>. <strong>The National Park Service</strong> never conceded that Barlow owned the 27-acre island before it vanished. [<a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article205026634.html"><em>The Charlotte Observer</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC WORKS | </strong>After a series of <strong>big Nor&rsquo;easter storms</strong> brought major snowfall and coastal flooding in recent weeks to parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England, public works agencies are preparing for what could be another big late-season storm next week. &ldquo;<strong>Keep in mind this threat is 6 days out and is far from a certainty along with potential precipitation types,</strong>&rdquo; according to the <strong>National Weather Service </strong>in<strong> Boston</strong>, where snow-removal operations continue.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PWD blower is still going strong clearing neighborhoods throughout <a href="https://twitter.com/CityOfBoston?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CityOfBoston</a>. Pic below from Bennington Street in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eastboston?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eastboston</a>. <a href="https://t.co/9eJEGnGav0">pic.twitter.com/9eJEGnGav0</a></p>
&mdash; Boston Public Works (@BostonPWD) <a href="https://twitter.com/BostonPWD/status/973854200676409344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>[<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/03/14/tuesdays-blizzard-dumped-as-much-as-2-feet-of-snow-in-eastern-massachusetts/?utm_term=.544981845276"><em>Capital Weather Gang / The Washington Post</em></a>; <a href="https://www.boston.com/weather/weather/2018/03/14/winter-storm-tuesday-march-20-2018"><em>Boston.com</em></a>; <a href="https://t.co/9eJEGnGav0"><em>@BostonPWD</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassWed, 14 Mar 2018 22:35:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/next-recession-new-york-mta-particularly-vulnerable/146686/FinanceCommuters on the New York subway.ShutterstockAs High Court Weighs Online Sales Taxes, States Get Ready to Pouncehttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/supreme-court-online-sales-taxes-states/146681/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/supreme_court/medium.jpg"
alt="The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C."
title="The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/13/as-high-court-weighs-online-sales-taxes-states-get-ready-to-pounce">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Elaine S. Povich.</em></p>
<p>With the U.S. Supreme Court weeks away from hearing arguments in a landmark case on online sales taxes, several states are readying laws that would allow them to begin collecting millions of dollars almost immediately if the court rules in their favor.</p>
<p>States across the country are salivating at a potential windfall in sales taxes&mdash;but they&rsquo;ll only get it if they have a law on the books that allows them to collect taxes from online sellers. For states without an income or corporate tax, the sales tax collections are even more important.</p>
<p>Currently, taxes are not collected on billions in remote sales, though Amazon, the biggest online seller, has agreed to do so in many states. The potential is huge: E-commerce sales made up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf">9 percent of all retail sales</a>&nbsp;in the United States last quarter, topping $119 billion, adjusting for seasonal variation, according to the Census Bureau.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s about the money,&rdquo; said Max Behlke, who handles budget and tax issues for the National Conference of State Legislatures, which supports allowing states to collect the taxes. Behlke pointed out that in most states, sales tax revenue never rebounded after the Great Recession, despite the fact that Americans are buying more.</p>
<p>In part, that&rsquo;s because they are buying online. &ldquo;When Americans are buying more but the tax revenue is not rebounding, that&rsquo;s just a measure of where young people are shopping,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Revenue begets action.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Putting a law on the books now will likely shorten the time frame for collecting the revenue, he said.</p>
<p>The 45 states that have sales taxes maintain that altogether they could collect an estimated&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/09/08/online-amnesty-program-aims-to-boost-tax-rolls">$26 billion annually in sales taxes</a>&nbsp;on products sold remotely&mdash;online and via mail order&mdash;according to the National Governors Association.</p>
<p>A November 2017 estimate from the Government Accountability Office is lower, but pegs the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/688437.pdf">potential revenue for state and local governments</a>&nbsp;at $8 billion to $13 billion a year &mdash; though the analysis warns that businesses will face compliance costs.</p>
<p>Arguments are scheduled for April 17 in the case of&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/qp/17-00494qp.pdf">South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc</a>.</em>, in which the state&nbsp;contends that a 1992 high court ruling prohibiting collection of sales taxes from any seller that does not have a physical location in the state is outdated. South Dakota notes that the underlying case, <em>Quill Corp. v. North Dakota</em>, involved sales of floppy disks, symbolizing how outdated the case really is.</p>
<p>Defendants, which include online retailers, argue that the remote tax collection violates the commerce clause of the Constitution, which gives the federal government the power to regulate commerce among the states. A ruling is expected by summer.</p>
<p>At least nine states have bills in their legislatures this year that would facilitate the collection of sales taxes on remote purchases according to NCSL, which keeps track of such legislation. They include Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Oklahoma.</p>
<p>This year&rsquo;s legislative push follows action in about a dozen states last year, where officials enacted laws or wrote administrative rules that would allow online sellers to collect remote sales taxes and then remit the funds to state coffers.</p>
<p>In general, lawmakers argue that extending sales taxes to the internet is not a new tax, but rather the enforcement of an existing levy. Technically, buyers already are required to remit state taxes on things they buy on the internet, but in practice, few, if any, do so.</p>
<p>Oklahoma Sen. Tom Dugger, a Republican who identifies himself as the only certified public accountant in the state&rsquo;s Legislature, is sponsoring legislation to make sure his state is ready. &ldquo;This just makes sure we get in now because we don&rsquo;t know when the federal government will make it active.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Dugger&rsquo;s bill would require internet sellers, if they do not collect and remit state sales taxes themselves, to report the number and amount of sales of products in Oklahoma and list the names of those who bought items. Presumably, that would allow the state to go after the buyers to send in their sales tax.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a huge benefit to cities and towns,&rdquo; Dugger said, noting that many municipalities add sales taxes on top of the state&rsquo;s 4.5 percent levy. &ldquo;Most counties depend on this.&rdquo; He estimates the state could pick up another $20 million to $40 million annually to add to its current $6.8 billion budget.</p>
<p>Dugger&rsquo;s bill made it out of a Senate committee by just a one-vote margin last month, but he&rsquo;s optimistic that the full Legislature will pass it, despite the close committee margin and that Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who has indicated her support, will sign it. Opponents did not express concerns about the bill&rsquo;s intent, but said they were worried about whether the collection of taxes and showing where buyers shopped would create internet privacy issues.</p>
<p>In Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2018/mar/07/house-panel-advances-bill-tax-online-retail-sales/">legislation passed a House panel last week</a>&nbsp;and now moves to the full House for a vote on whether to require sales tax collections from businesses that conduct at least 100 transactions or $50,000 annually in sales.</p>
<p>And in Idaho, the Senate&nbsp;<a href="http://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/internet-sales-tax-bill-clears-senate-panel/article_0b6cf236-ce86-55b6-b144-137c363c065b.html">is about to consider legislation</a>&nbsp;that would require online sellers to collect and remit state sales taxes if they do more than $10,000 in business in the state. Rep. Lance Clow, a Republican who sponsored the bill, which passed the House last month, estimates that it could bring in $22 million to $37 million a year.</p>
<p>Clow said that if the Supreme Court rules in South Dakota&rsquo;s favor, then his bill in Idaho would be constitutional as well. The bill would take effect July 1, pending the court decision, and would give everyone time to figure out the new law before the court rules.</p>
<p>Opponents such as Rep. Vito Barbieri, a Republican from northern Idaho, opposed the bill because he said the state doesn&rsquo;t need more money. In addition, he believes there should be some connection between the companies being taxed and state services.</p>
<p>&quot;There&rsquo;s got to be a nexus&mdash;there&rsquo;s got to be some connection&mdash;between the company and the tax,&quot; he said, noting that when local stores remit taxes they get state government services in return, unlike remote sellers. &quot;We are trying to dissolve this statutorily because we are looking for new sources of revenue. It&rsquo;s too bad, but the only way to slow spending down on the state or federal level is to cut off the funding.&quot;</p>
<p>The idea of collecting new sales taxes is wildly popular among the states. Thirty-five states filed amicus briefs on South Dakota&rsquo;s behalf with the Supreme Court, as did the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. All argue that current law is keeping them from collecting taxes on what is rightfully theirs&mdash;sales of products coming into their state.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The devastating effect on State and local economies is two-fold,&rdquo; the NGA and others wrote in their amicus brief.</p>
<p>&ldquo;First, the physical nexus requirement results in a loss of crucial revenue from owed taxes that State and local governments depend on to fund basic government functions,&rdquo; the brief says. &ldquo;Second, it disadvantages in-state brick-and-mortar retailers, who do not have the same luxury of avoiding their sales and use tax collection and remittance responsibilities.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The only major opposition among the amicus briefs, often known as &ldquo;friend of the court&rdquo; briefs, comes from NetChoice a trade group of online retailers that includes such behemoths as Google, eBay and Overstock.com as well as smaller retailers. The organization argues that assessing and collecting sales taxes from the 45 states that assess a sales tax is too complicated and would disproportionately hurt the little sellers.</p>
<p>In Nebraska, legislation to collect state sales taxes on internet purchases is moving forward, despite opposition from GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts, who argues the state should wait for the Supreme Court to act. Undaunted, the state&rsquo;s unicameral Legislature advanced the bill on a 35-8 vote, more than the 30 votes needed to override an anticipated veto by the governor.</p>
<p>Ricketts, in a statement, said the bill is &ldquo;flawed and contains burdensome regulation and unnecessary red tape on companies doing business in Nebraska.&rdquo;</p>
<p>NetChoice, in a letter to Nebraska senators, cautioned that the bill would &ldquo;violate the privacy expectations of Nebraska citizens &hellip; the state would know they are buying from vendors whose names reveal sensitive private information, such as medical conditions, financial problems, sexual preferences, and political beliefs.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Carl Szabo, NetChoice&rsquo;s vice president and general counsel, said his group has also been making the argument in states that taxing internet sales would burden small sellers with thousands of tax rules from 12,000 jurisdictions and subject them to audits from 45 states and the District of Columbia. He used his mother as an example, saying that her small internet jewelry company would be unable to figure it all out. &ldquo;The suggestion that there is software do to it, misses all the costs that come with integration, categorization and simply understanding how to do it.&rdquo;</p>Elaine S. Povich, The Pew Charitable TrustsWed, 14 Mar 2018 18:09:11 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/supreme-court-online-sales-taxes-states/146681/FinanceThe U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.ShutterstockTrump Administration Mum on Nationalizing 5Ghttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/trump-administration-5g-nationalization/146677/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/5g/medium.jpeg"
alt="Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, center left, and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, right, arrive before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation hearing on infrastructure Wednesday in Washington, D.C."
title="Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, center left, and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, right, arrive before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation hearing on infrastructure Wednesday in Washington, D.C."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The Trump administration hasn&rsquo;t made a final decision on whether to nationalize 5G or allow wireless carriers to build their own networks, according to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.</p>
<p>During <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?442329-1/cabinet-secretaries-testify-trump-administration-infrastructure-plan&amp;live&amp;vod">Senate Commerce Committee testimony on infrastructure</a> Wednesday in D.C., Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, asked Ross about the status of a <a href="https://www.axios.com/trump-team-debates-nationalizing-5g-network-f1e92a49-60f2-4e3e-acd4-f3eb03d910ff.html">memo leaked in January</a> proposing the federal government fund and establish a single 5G network within three years that wireless providers would access via lease.</p>
<p>National security officials argued such a network would be more secure from cyber threats posed by China, and small cell installation would no longer be regulated by cities or states.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We regard 5G as quite essential, both to the commercial interests and to the national security interests of the country,&rdquo; Ross said. &ldquo;So the president is very keenly interested in making sure we are the leader in 5G.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cruz worried nationalizing 5G would hinder, not help, the U.S. in its race to deploy 5G faster than China, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.</p>
<p>The four national wireless carriers in the U.S. <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/5g-broadband-senate-commerce-subcommittee/146641/">already plan to deploy 5G</a> later this year and have asked the Federal Communications Commission to preempt localities on inconvenient reviews, permitting times and lease costs.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Let me make clear at least my position&mdash;and I think the position of a great many people in Congress&mdash;is that it would be a grave mistake to nationalize 5G,&rdquo; Cruz said. &ldquo;And I think you would face very significant resistance in both houses for any proposal to do so.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Should their traditional business models go undisrupted, wireless providers anticipate 5G boosting the annual U.S. gross domestic product by as much as $500 billion, Cruz said, and creating as many as 3 million jobs.</p>
<p>Still, carriers have made clear dense urban areas, not rural ones, will benefit from any initial 5G deployments. Nationalizing 5G might offer greater reach.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Well, I certainly don&rsquo;t want to sound as though I&rsquo;m advocating it,&rdquo; Ross said. &ldquo;I just don&rsquo;t want to get out ahead of the president.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirWed, 14 Mar 2018 17:22:12 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/trump-administration-5g-nationalization/146677/Tech & DataCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, center left, and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, right, arrive before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation hearing on infrastructure Wednesday in Washington, D.C.Andrew Harnik / AP PhotoStruggling Mill Town Hopes for Aquaculture-Fueled Recoveryhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/bucksport-maine-fish-farming/146669/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/bucksposrt_sign/medium.JPG"
alt="A welcome sign in Bucksport, Maine stands in front of the former Verso paper mill, now demolished. "
title="A welcome sign in Bucksport, Maine stands in front of the former Verso paper mill, now demolished. "
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>In a tale of remarkable resiliency, a suffering old mill town on the banks of the Penobscot River in Maine has engineered a feat of renewal and an important role in a new but fast-growing business of raising salmon for consumption in the hungry American market.</p>
<p><a href="https://wholeoceans.com/">Whole Oceans LLC</a>, a Portland-based firm, recently <a href="https://wholeoceans.com/mill-site-bucksport-maine-purchased-to-grow-atlantic-salmon-with-land-based-aquaculture-operation/">announced</a> it will build a huge land-based aquaculture plant in Bucksport on land now occupied by remnants of the Verso paper mill that once was at the center of the region&rsquo;s economy. The company said it will invest $250 million in the plant, providing employment to dozens, and later hundreds, of workers in the town of 5,000 residents.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s exciting news both for its economic impact, and because it will help put Maine at the center of a brand new, still-developing technology holding the prospect of greatly reducing demand for imports to feed the U.S. market. Another indoor salmon-raising plant is being developed by a Norwegian company in Belfast, just 20 miles down the Penobscot River.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/2016/06/penobscot-river-town-paper/128996/"><em>Route Fifty</em> last visited Bucksport in spring 2016</a>. Then, the town was reeling from the Verso mill&rsquo;s shuttering in October 2014 and figuring out how to move on from the devastating closure.</p>
<p>The Whole Oceans story revolves around a Maine boy who brought expertise gained in global finance and investment banking at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomura_Securities">Nomura Securities</a> back to benefit his home state. The first sentence in the company&rsquo;s Feb. 21 announcement of the Bucksport investment makes that point: &ldquo;When Whole Oceans&rsquo; CEO Rob Piasio was growing up in Yarmouth, Maine, he knew that one day, he would help his state grow and prosper.&rdquo; Six years of research and preparation preceded the launch of Whole Oceans, according to the announcement. It quoted Piasio: &ldquo;This story is also about the resiliency and determination of towns throughout Maine that make projects like this possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Meeting Demand</strong></p>
<p>Americans now consume about 500,000 tons of salmon a year. Nearly 95 percent is imported from offshore fish farms in three countries: Norway, Chile and Canada. Small fish farming operations also are found in Maine&rsquo;s offshore waters. But offshore operations require the use of chemicals to combat sea lice and disease that can afflict the fish. Fish are given a chemical bath before getting on their way to consumers. Pens get so dirty that they must be retired from use for more than a year while tides slowly flush them clean.</p>
<p>In the Whole Oceans facility, and in <a href="http://www.nordicaquafarms.com/">Nordic Aquafarms&rsquo;</a> proposed plant in Belfast, these problems will not exist because of the closed, recirculating characteristics of the technology. Piasio hopes Whole Oceans will capture 10 percent of the U.S. market. That will take years and a lot of investment to accomplish, but with their current plans, the Bucksport and Belfast operations could produce a combined output of about 53,000 tons of fish per year, or about 10 percent of current national demand. Whole Oceans says it has pre-sold 100 percent of projected production for the next 10 years.</p>
<p>These two plants have met an enthusiastic reception from leading government officials, including Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, who said that &ldquo;aquaculture is a centerpiece of our state&rsquo;s ocean economy.&rdquo; &nbsp;Gov. Paul LePage has said Whole Oceans &ldquo;and its Maine-grown team will be an important addition to our state&rsquo;s economy and transformative for Bucksport.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Federal, state and local regulatory approvals will be needed for the two aquaculture projects. In response to a query about the Bucksport initiative, Doug Ray, director of legislative affairs and communications for <a href="http://www.maine.gov/decd/">Maine&rsquo;s Department of Economic and Community Development</a>, said in an e-mail that while &ldquo;we are still quite early in the regulatory process,&rdquo; a number of processes are underway.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/14/WO-Rendering-2-Large.jpg" />
<figcaption>What&#39;s envisioned for the Whole Oceans fish-farming facility in Bucksport, Maine. (Rendering courtesy Whole Oceans)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In December, he wrote that &ldquo;the Maine Department of Environment Protection hosted a joint meeting with representatives of Whole Oceans, Department of Marine Resources, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Whole Oceans provided the agencies with an overview of their planned operations and discussed the various agencies&rsquo; permitting requirements. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Several agencies within the executive branch, including our team here at DECD, will continue our involvement with this project as it moves forward and work with Whole Oceans throughout the entire process of permitting, and ultimately hiring.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Before submitting permit applications, Whole Oceans will host a public information meeting in the Bucksport area&mdash;scheduled for March 20, according to Richard Rotella, Bucksport&rsquo;s Community and Economic Development Director.</p>
<p>Whole Oceans has not &ldquo;at this point asked for any financial aid from the town,&rdquo; Rotella said. At the state level, Ray said the company would be eligible to apply for Maine&rsquo;s Pine Tree Development Zone (PTDZ) program, which <a href="http://www.maine.gov/decd/start-grow/pine-tree/index.shtml">offers</a> aquaculture and other categories of businesses &ldquo;the chance to greatly reduce, or virtually eliminate, state taxes for up to ten years when they create new, quality jobs.&rdquo;</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/14/bucksport_maine.png" />
<figcaption>Bucksport, Maine (Photo by Timothy B. Clark / Route Fifty)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Bucksport&rsquo;s Win</strong></p>
<p>Community spirit, hard work on a resilient future, and the blessings of geography doubtless contributed to Bucksport&rsquo;s success in securing the Whole Oceans project. And perhaps, in some intangible way, the town&rsquo;s poet laureate, Patricia Ranzoni, played a significant role</p>
<p>Not every town has an officially designated poet laureate, let alone one who would take on the big task of documenting hard lives lived over nearly a century of paper-making. The fruits of that effort are found in <a href="http://www.northcountrypress.com/still-mill.html"><em>Still Mill; Poems, Stories &amp; Songs of Making Paper in Bucksport Maine, 1930-2014</em></a><em>, </em>a 432-page book published in 2017. Drawing on writings by mill workers, their wives and others, obituaries and other sources, Ranzoni&rsquo;s anthology hauntingly relates the hardships, and the satisfactions, of bread-winners and their community centered around the huge paper mill. Ranzoni&rsquo;s own writings are well represented, including poems <a href="http://www.elixir-journal.org/issue5/poetry1.php">published earlier</a> in the online journal <em>e*lix*ir</em>.</p>
<p>For a company considering locating in Bucksport, <em>Still Mill</em> provides powerful testimony to the strengths of the people who have lived and worked there for generations. But, of course, many practicalities also needed assessment by Piasio and his team.</p>
<p>In a recent interview, Rotella cited some of the factors that made Bucksport attractive to Whole Oceans. The site itself was one&mdash;a tract large enough to build the facility and adjacent to the river that would supply some of its water. The company has bought 120 acres of the 270-acre mill site from its current owner, the scrap metal firm AIM Development. The salmon-raising facility requires some salt water, and tests proved that the Penobscot River is sufficiently brackish in Bucksport. Huge amounts of freshwater are also required, and it proved that Silver Lake, which supplied Verso, has more than enough for the Whole Oceans project. And power can be bought from the big adjacent generating plant that once served the paper mill. Rotella also cited the town&rsquo;s industrial park as a strength, providing easy siting for ancillary businesses to supply the Whole Oceans operation.</p>
<p><strong>Concerns in Belfast </strong></p>
<p>The Bucksport project seems all but a done deal, and Whole Oceans hopes to begin construction in August. Sales of the first salmon are still a few years away, since after the plant is completed, it will take about two years to mature the fish to a weight of about eight pounds. The Belfast plant is on a slightly slower schedule.</p>
<p>Of course, any project of this size can create community concerns, and these were on full display in Belfast on Feb. 21, when the town sponsored &nbsp;an informational session about Nordic Aquafarms&rsquo; plan. About 300 people packed the meeting, which was filmed and <a href="http://belfastme.swagit.com/play/02212018-1358">archived</a> on the town&rsquo;s website.</p>
<p>Belfast residents expressed concern about the effects the project could have on their water supply and on the environment of their community next to Penobscot bay.</p>
<p>Belfast has no lake to rely upon, but rather takes its water from underground aquifers. Erik Heim, president and CEO of Nordic Aquafarms, told the crowd that his biggest challenge was &ldquo;finding a sustainable amount of groundwater so as not to impact the community in a negative way.&rdquo; By sustainable, he said he meant that &ldquo;what I pump today&rdquo;&mdash;estimated at 262 million gallons a year&mdash;is not going to diminish what can be pumped 30 years hence. A town spokesman said the water system has the capacity to supply the plant, adding that the company &ldquo;will pay a lot of revenue in the next six years.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Heim addressed questions about the feed his operation will supply to the young salmon, and said he was aiming to have it be &ldquo;organic&rdquo; and that in any event it would be easy to remove from the plant&rsquo;s closed systems &ldquo;so it won&rsquo;t be discharged.&rdquo; Feed-producing operations will require added investment and create more jobs.</p>
<p>Traffic and noise were a concern. But officials said the plant&rsquo;s 60 employees wouldn&rsquo;t create any traffic jams, nor would the 10-12 trucks coming and going from the plant each day. The trucks, incidentally, will likely be sourced from Tesla, Heim said, and their electric motors should be much quieter than most.</p>
<p>What about the guts? One resident said he estimated that gutting the fish before shipping them would require three 16-yard dump trucks a week to haul the stuff away. But Heim had a ready answer from his experience in Europe: viewing the guts as a resource, European plants block-freeze them for use in animal feed, fish oil and other applications. The guts, he said, &ldquo;are not waste, but a valuable resource.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The two Maine-based onshore salmon-growing operations will supply the regional market, in New England and perhaps a bit further south. Heim made the point that proximity to the consumer is important, and other facilities are springing up in other coastal states in the south and west. What&rsquo;s planned as the biggest plant in the nation is under construction some 34 miles west of Miami by Atlantic Sapphire USA, a subsidiary of Norwegian farmed salmon firm Atlantic Sapphire A/S. It is on track to deliver an initial harvest by mid-2020, Johan Andreassen, the founder and CEO, assured a small group of investors during a tour in late January, according to <a href="https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2018/02/05/atlantic-sapphires-land-based-salmon-plant-on-track-for-2020/"><em>Undercurrent News</em></a>.</p>
<p>Fifteen hundred miles to the north, Bucksport is paying little attention to Florida, rejoicing as it is in the good fortune that has brought Whole Oceans its way.</p>Timothy B. ClarkWed, 14 Mar 2018 14:59:34 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/bucksport-maine-fish-farming/146669/ManagementA welcome sign in Bucksport, Maine stands in front of the former Verso paper mill, now demolished. Timothy B. ClarkTo Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Look to the Sewershttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/civic_io_pitch/medium.png"
alt="Newsha Ghaeli, president and cofounder of Biobot Analytics, presents during the Civic I/O pitch in Austin, Texas."
title="Newsha Ghaeli, president and cofounder of Biobot Analytics, presents during the Civic I/O pitch in Austin, Texas."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Cities may soon have maps of opioid use at the neighborhood level, courtesy of their sewer system and a new startup called <a href="http://biobot.io/">Biobot Analytics</a>.</p>
<p>Utilizing a product that helps them collect and analyze wastewater on a biweekly basis, the start-up allows cities to take a proactive approach to the opioid crisis, giving clear data on where opioids are being utilized at the neighborhood level.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/"><strong><em>[</em></strong><strong><em>WATCH the Full Civic I/O Tech Pitch, a Q&amp;A with the judges and more</em></strong><strong><em>]</em></strong></a></p>
<p>Biobot Analytics is less than six months old, but they wowed a panel of mayors and technical experts, <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">winning the Civic I/O tech pitch at SXSW this week</a>. Newsha Ghaeli, president and cofounder of Biobot Analytics, believes cities can use this &ldquo;latent intelligence that no one is really tapping into&rdquo; to figure out what approaches and interventions are working, and redeploy programs and public safety assets around the epidemic in near real-time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The current approach is reactively counting extreme cases&mdash;overdoses,&rdquo; Ghaeli told the panel. &ldquo;We enable this proactive way of understanding consumption from everyone in your city.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Biobot takes the collected data and can create a dashboard for use across the city, even breaking down what types of opioids used, from prescription pharmaceuticals to heroin, fentanyl, even substitutes like methadone.</p>
<p>With the opioid epidemic decreasing the national life expectancy, overdose deaths becoming a leading cause of adult death and<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/opioid-epidemic-has-cost-us-more-1-trillion/145954/"> costing the country over $1 trillion</a>&mdash;city leaders were paying close attention.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just fascinated by this whole concept,&rdquo; Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, a judge during the competition, said when the pitch was done.</p>
<p>Helping cities tackle the opioid crisis may be just the first act for the company. Biobot&rsquo;s technology and methodology allows it to potentially measure a wide range of what goes through sewers. Ghaeli said she sees an opportunity to look at a number of applications, from helping city leaders &ldquo;understand disparities in nutrition in the city&rdquo; to the spread of infectious diseases.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Biobot sees their technology as turning&nbsp;sewers into an &ldquo;urban health data asset&rdquo; that will empower city leaders&mdash;and public works departments&mdash;to better serve&nbsp;citizens.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The partners that we work with, their public works departments get really excited about this, because they don&rsquo;t really have the most glamorous&nbsp;job and I think to feel that they are helping, or their infrastructure is helping, one of the most critical urban issues right now, is really a sense of pride,&rdquo; Ghaeli told the panel of judges. &ldquo;So it&rsquo;s been really fun working with the city workers.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Biobot has been working with the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts over the past few weeks, and will be deploying in Cary, North Carolina in about a month. The company hopes to roll out their solution in five additional cities this year.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/BiobotAnalytics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BiobotAnalytics</a>, our first place winner at today&rsquo;s Civic Tech Pitch! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayorsAtSXSW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MayorsAtSXSW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sxsw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sxsw</a> <a href="https://t.co/0CfsGWS9FP">pic.twitter.com/0CfsGWS9FP</a></p>
&mdash; U.S. Mayors (@usmayors) <a href="https://twitter.com/usmayors/status/972923889373319173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>ALSO from <em>Route Fifty</em>&rsquo;s coverage from SXSW 2018:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">Civic I/O Tech Pitch: The Winners and Finalists</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/">Cities Join the Branding Bonanza</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/">The President of Everywhere, USA</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/">For Cities, Creativity and Convergence Need to Be the Norm</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/">The Mayor&rsquo;s Life at SXSW</a></strong></li>
</ul>Mitch HerckisWed, 14 Mar 2018 13:37:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/Tech & DataNewsha Ghaeli, president and cofounder of Biobot Analytics, presents during the Civic I/O pitch in Austin, Texas.Route Fifty5 Cabinet Secretaries Stump for Infrastructure Plan on Capitol Hillhttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/trump-infrastructure-plan-cabinet-secretaries-testify/146654/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/five_cabinet_secretaries_testify_on_infrastructure_f20BCyI/medium.jpg"
alt="From left, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation."
title="From left, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON&nbsp;&mdash; Five cabinet secretaries made a case on Capitol Hill on Wednesday&nbsp;for President Trump&#39;s&nbsp;infrastructure plan, which faces an uphill&nbsp;path in Congress given the scarce&nbsp;funding to pay for it.</p>
<p>Uncertainty&nbsp;over where new federal money will come from to cover added public works spending has cast a shadow over&nbsp;the White House blueprint since its release last month. And this was again the case as the&nbsp;cabinet officials&nbsp;offered&nbsp;their testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.</p>
<p>The secretaries on hand for the hearing included:&nbsp;Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue,&nbsp;Energy Secretary Rick Perry&nbsp;and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The fact that these four other cabinet members are sitting here, I think, underscores very clearly the emphasis that the president is putting on this,&quot; Perry said.</p>
<p>Committee Chairman John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, offered an optimistic, albeit tempered, assessment&nbsp;when asked about whether the Senate would make progress on&nbsp;infrastructure legislation&nbsp;this year.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s realistic that something could happen that would constitute sort of a down payment on a bigger, more robust bill,&quot; he told reporters after the hearing. &quot;I think the key right now is whether or not we have sufficient resources to fund an infrastructure package.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;But, yeah, I think something will move,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>He went on to highlight two pieces of legislation already on Congress&#39;&nbsp;radar&mdash;a&nbsp;reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration and an automated vehicle bill that <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2017/10/self-driving-vehicle-bill-senate-automated-vehicles/141557/">cleared his committee last year</a>, but has hit <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/14/feinstein-blocks-bill-that-would-loosen-self-driving-car-regulations/" target="_blank">snags</a> in the full Senate.</p>
<p>Action on legislation meant to expand broadband deployment was another possibility Thune mentioned.</p>
<p>But he also noted that:&nbsp;&ldquo;unless somebody&#39;s&nbsp;ready to bite the bullet and come up with a new funding source, there are limitations to what we will&nbsp;be able to do.&quot; In the Senate, it will fall to the Finance Committee&nbsp;to&nbsp;take a lead role&nbsp;determining the infrastructure spending the government can afford and a plan to pay&nbsp;for it.</p>
<p>Thune said nailing down new federal funds for&nbsp;public works spending would likely require a push by the president.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If they really want to do the scale of what they&rsquo;re talking about doing, then at some point they&rsquo;re probably going to have to get behind some form of pay-fors,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;I&nbsp;think it&rsquo;s going to take the president to do that. I just don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s going to be enough support up here for new revenues to do the kind of thing that they&rsquo;re talking about.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The White House proposal calls for about $200 billion of federal spending over 10 years, mostly on new grant initiatives. But it&nbsp;does not identify&nbsp;new revenues that could cover this cost.</p>
<p>&quot;Given the high priority the president has placed&nbsp;on rebuilding America, you&rsquo;d think we&rsquo;d be further along in this process,&quot; Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said during the hearing.</p>
<p>&quot;Other than releasing a 50-page proposal with a few documents, the president and his allies in Congress have failed to set the stage for any meaningful investments in our aging infrastructure,&quot; she added.</p>
<p>Duckworth went on to press the secretaries on whether their departments had&nbsp;analyzed or considered&nbsp;potential revenues that could support the&nbsp;federal share of Trump&#39;s proposal.</p>
<p>&quot;As for pay-fors, I agree with you, that is a very difficult question,&quot; Chao said in her response. &quot;As of now, the good news is, everything is&nbsp;on the table. And we look forward to working with the Congress.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;I don&#39;t think that&#39;s quite an answer,&quot;&nbsp;Duckworth replied.</p>
<p>Republicans lawmakers and the secretaries zeroed in&nbsp;on overhauling permitting and project approval processes&nbsp;as a way to cut costs and speed-up projects. This is another core element in Trump&#39;s plan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;One of the most important things that you will do as a governor, and I would suggest as a senator who oversees agencies, is in the thoughtful addressing of permitting,&rdquo; said Perry, who served previously as the governor of Texas. &ldquo;Permitting and regulations, I would suggest to you, affect the bottom line even more than taxes do,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>Sen. Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, struck a similar tone.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The impediment to more energy infrastructure is existing government regulation and red tape dragging out the completion of needed projects,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Tolling, rural broadband deployment, and the financial limitations states and localities face when it comes to raising money for projects were among the other issues that came up Wednesday.</p>
<p>Ross described some of the possible ideas the Commerce Department&nbsp;has in mind for&nbsp;a $20 billion program for &quot;transformative&quot; projects that Trump has proposed. These included satellite-based broadband, upgraded facilities for&nbsp;spacecraft, augmented reality to improve city congestion and new dredging technologies for ports.</p>
<p>Thune emphasized that the type of infrastructure package under discussion is&nbsp;more than a highway bill&nbsp;and urged building on successful federal programs, particularly those for project financing.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Both sides want to make our existing programs work better,&quot; he said. &quot;Both sides can come together on this and it can happen this year.&quot;</p>
<p><em>This post has been updated.</em></p>Bill LuciaWed, 14 Mar 2018 12:54:33 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/trump-infrastructure-plan-cabinet-secretaries-testify/146654/InfrastructureFrom left, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation.AP Photo/Andrew HarnikWhy America's Teachers Haven't Been Getting Raiseshttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/teacher-wages-benefits-states/146659/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/teachers/medium.jpeg"
alt="More than a thousand teachers and other public workers rally at the Kentucky Capitol to demonstrate against proposed changes to the state’s pension system on Monday in Frankfort."
title="More than a thousand teachers and other public workers rally at the Kentucky Capitol to demonstrate against proposed changes to the state’s pension system on Monday in Frankfort."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Larry Cagle is angry. At 54 years of age, he makes $34,500 a year teaching critical-reading skills to public high-school students in Tulsa, Oklahoma. &ldquo;I do construction and lawn maintenance in the summer&rdquo; to make ends meet, he said. &ldquo;I moved here from Florida five years ago, and in Florida I made $25,000 a year more.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He talked about the number of public-school teachers he knew working second jobs on nights and weekends, flipping burgers or hauling luggage at the airport. Teachers digging into their own pockets to pay for students&rsquo; basic needs and classroom supplies. Teachers living in cars, taking out loans,&nbsp;<a href="http://time.com/4871149/oklahoma-teresa-danks-panhandling-school-supplies/">panhandling</a>&nbsp;for more money, struggling to pay their own bills. &ldquo;My school is one of the highest-performing schools in the state,&rdquo; he said, estimating that two in three of the teachers he had worked with in the past half decade had left for other jobs or retired. &ldquo;These are primary positions, not ancillary positions. This is math, science, foreign language, arts, history. We had two teachers who just walked out [and quit] recently.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The successful&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-victory/555056/">two-week-long strike</a>&nbsp;of public-school workers in West Virginia&mdash;as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-victory/555056/">imminent strike of teachers</a>&nbsp;in Oklahoma, led by grassroots activists, including Cagle&mdash;has thrown into relief the financial difficulties that thousands of education professionals face. Yet those difficulties are not unique to those two states. Despite the perception that educator jobs are unionized, pay decently well, and are guaranteed-tenure, hundreds of thousands of American teachers have seen their wages and benefits erode in recent years, more so than for many other types of workers.</p>
<p>Teachers&rsquo; fortunes are emblematic of public workers&rsquo; more generally since the Great Recession. Because of the stable nature of government employment, such employees were largely spared the worst of the layoffs and wage cuts that afflicted private businesses. That said, these jobs have not rebounded in the same way that many private-sector ones have, either, with public finances still squeezed, public workforces still smaller than their pre-recession peak, and local government officials still hesitant to make critical investments in their workforces and infrastructure.</p>
<p>Granted, by many measures and in many places, teaching remains a solidly middle-class profession. Government&nbsp;<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_211.60.asp">data</a>&nbsp;shows that the average teacher earns about $59,000 a year, with many school districts offering good benefits and generous retirement plans. Andrew Biggs, an economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, pushed against the notion that teachers are broadly underpaid. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good and a very family-friendly job,&rdquo; he told me, citing its reasonable hours and long summer break. &ldquo;Why should you pay them more? They&rsquo;re on strike&mdash;that&rsquo;s a reason to pay them more.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yet in some states, teachers are earning close to poverty wages, as the West Virginia strike and the threatened Oklahoma strike have demonstrated. Indeed, those two states offer compensation roughly a third lower than the national average for all public teachers, numbers that do not look much better adjusting for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-01-graph-where-do-us-teacher-salaries-really-go-the-furthest">the cost of living</a>. Moreover, there is data demonstrating that the teacher pay gap&mdash;meaning what public-school teachers earn compared with comparably qualified individuals in the private sector&mdash;is large and growing. The left-of-center Economic Policy Institute (EPI)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-teacher-pay-gap-is-wider-than-ever-teachers-pay-continues-to-fall-further-behind-pay-of-comparable-workers/">has found</a>&nbsp;that teachers&rsquo; average weekly wages actually fell $30 per week between 1996 and 2015 after adjusting for inflation, whereas they increased measurably among all college graduates. EPI also has estimated that public-school teachers were earning about 2 percent less than comparably qualified private-sector workers in 1994, a disparity measure that grew to 17 percent by 2015.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Teachers actually gained ground in the depths of the recession, as their pay didn&rsquo;t fall, whereas pay for other workers did,&rdquo; Larry Mishel, an economist at EPI, told me. &ldquo;But when there was a recovery, they didn&rsquo;t get much recovery.&rdquo; Indeed, as state and local finances rebounded, many red and purple states cut their income taxes, with property taxes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/state-and-local-budgets-and-the-great-recession/">remaining depressed</a>&nbsp;due to the subprime-mortgage crisis. The result: sharp declines in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding">public-school funding</a>&nbsp;per student,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nctq.org/dmsView/The_Recessions_Impact_On_Teacher_Salaries_NCTQ_Report">reduced salary</a>&nbsp;increases through the recovery, and widespread teacher shortages. Teacher enrollments dropped from 691,000 in 2009 to just 451,000 a year in 2004 as attrition&mdash;meaning the share of educators dropping out of the profession&mdash;hit 8 percent a year. Nationwide, the number of teachers and other school workers has fallen by 135,000 since 2008, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding">recent analysis</a>&nbsp;of government data by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-of-center think tank, found. Yet as that number declined, the number of students rose by 1.4 million.</p>
<p>This squeeze on school funding has made teaching a less attractive or sustainable job in many cases. &ldquo;Highly publicized teacher layoffs during the budget downturn left a mark on the public psyche, including that of individuals who might have been considering a teaching career,&rdquo; argued one&nbsp;<a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/A_Coming_Crisis_in_Teaching_REPORT.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;by the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Palo Alto&ndash;based think tank. This post-recession combination of fewer teachers and less funding has also, the report noted, predictably led to larger class sizes and less in the way of learning materials.</p>
<p>Plus, teachers in a number of states have far fewer union protections than they had in previous years. Indeed, the share of teachers in a union has fallen to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/10/teacher-unions-fewer-half/23195433/">less than half</a>, driven in part by older, unionized teachers retiring, the rise of certain districts&rsquo; reliance on charters and other private education options, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/12/unions-wisconsin/509798/">legal changes</a>&nbsp;that have curtailed the ability of unions to bargain on behalf of workers. In some states, like Wisconsin, that&nbsp;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/17/news/economy/wisconsin-act-10-teachers/index.html">decline in unionization</a>&nbsp;has led straightforwardly to declines in compensation. &ldquo;How much further can you fall behind? These teachers have had it and are standing up and hoping to educate the public on what&rsquo;s been happening on pay, benefits, and retirement,&rdquo; said Sylvia Allegretto, a labor economist at the University of California, Berkeley. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been erosion in all these compensation factors over time, especially in states without the architecture for unionization.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cagle told me that he felt like some in Oklahoma were deaf to educators&rsquo; concerns because they wanted public schools to struggle. &ldquo;This state absolutely would like to do away with public school systems and move to private schools, to voucher systems that let parents to take their kids where they want to go,&rdquo; he told me. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re moving that agenda so aggressively that they&rsquo;re looking for public schools to fail.&rdquo; (Oklahoma does have a&nbsp;<a href="http://newsok.com/article/5539899">voucher movement</a>, but also a lauded universal public&nbsp;<a href="http://hechingerreport.org/why-oklahomas-public-preschools-are-some-of-the-best-in-the-country/">preschool program</a>, meaning its public-educational ideals are not purely conservative.)</p>
<p>In Oklahoma, educators&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oklahoma/articles/2018-03-08/the-latest-oklahoma-superintendent-says-boost-teacher-pay">are asking</a>&nbsp;for a $6,000-a-year raise, to be granted by April 1. If not, teachers plan to walk out&mdash;and are encouraging and advising their peers in Arizona and Kentucky to do the same. With the economy finally near full employment and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/low-wage-workers-finally-get-a-raise/550487/">lower-wage workers finally getting a raise</a>, it is time for teachers to get one too, they argue. And educators across the country&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-victory/555056/">might be listening</a>.</p>Annie Lowrey, The AtlanticWed, 14 Mar 2018 12:39:05 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/teacher-wages-benefits-states/146659/ManagementMore than a thousand teachers and other public workers rally at the Kentucky Capitol to demonstrate against proposed changes to the state’s pension system on Monday in Frankfort.Adam Beam / AP PhotoAir Pollution Is Bad for Productivity, Even in Office Jobshttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/air-pollution-bad-productivity-even-office-jobs/146649/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/14/office_cube/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>It seems reasonable that breathing in pollution would affect worker productivity, but only recently has the damage been documented.</p>
<p>In a series of studies that match readings from air monitors with the results of workers who are paid for daily piece work, researchers demonstrated that breathing polluted air impedes the ability of workers to pick berries, pack fruit, or even make phone calls from office cubicles.</p>
<p>The studies, which were collected in the journal&nbsp;<em><a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6371/39">Science</a></em>&nbsp;(pay wall) in January, were conducted over 10 years by team of researchers at Columbia, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, San Diego.</p>
<p>The biggest impact of air pollution was measured in farm workers in California&rsquo;s Central Valley, who were paid by the volume of grapes and blueberries they collected. On days that had higher readings of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-pollution/pollutants/common-contaminants/ground-level-ozone.html">ground-level ozone</a>&mdash;a harmful gas formed when tailpipe emissions mix with sunlight&mdash;worker productivity slumped. Over the two years they measured the ozone, readings ranged from 10 to 86 parts per billion, and averaged 48 ppb. For every 10 ppb increase in ozone, worker productivity fell 5.5 percent. For farm workers paid about $9 or $10 an hour, the lost productivity translates into about 45 cents an hour of lower pay, said Matthew Neidell, an economist at Columbia and an author of the studies.</p>
<p>Neidell and his colleagues then moved the study indoors, and looked at how pear packers in a Northern California factory were affected by particulate matter, a pollutant caused by carbon emissions, forest fires, or dust in the air. (While ozone is less present indoors, particulate matter can infiltrate all but the most air-tight buildings.) The impact was less pronounced, but still significant: A 5 microgram per cubic meter increase in particulate matter&mdash;a fluctuation that wasn&rsquo;t uncommon during the study&mdash;reduced productivity by 3 percent, or about 21 cents an hour, for the factory workers.</p>
<p>Finally, the researchers examined how particulate matter affected office workers, looking at call-center workers for a travel agency with offices in Shanghai and Nantong, cities in China with pollution levels comparable to that of large US cities. &ldquo;We found a similar pattern,&rdquo; Neidell said. &ldquo;When pollution went up, their productivity&mdash;the number of calls they made&mdash;went down.&rdquo; Because the workers were more sedentary that those packing fruit in factories, the decline in productivity was much smaller, only about 0.3 percent of change for a roughly 4-5 microgram increase in particulate matter. In an environment where call center workers make about 100 calls a day, the effect was about one less call a day for every four workers.</p>
<p>For individual companies, investing in air filters might improve the productivity of indoor workers enough to pay for the devices and add to the bottom line (not to mention potentially reducing health care costs). But the finding also argue there are clear economic benefits for increasing government air-pollution standards. Using a rough analysis based on the pear factory data, the&nbsp;researchers calculated that the improvements in air quality between 1999 and 2008 saved the US manufacturing industry $20 billion a year in productivity, or 2.6 percent&nbsp;of the industry&rsquo;s wage bill. Manufacturing is only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=51&amp;step=1#reqid=51&amp;step=51&amp;isuri=1&amp;5114=a&amp;5102=5">12 percent&nbsp;of the U.S. economy</a>, and according to the research, gains would be felt across all sectors.</p>
<p>When policy makers consider new pollution standards, there&rsquo;s usually a predictable divide, with environmentalists and healthcare groups on one side, and industry lining up to oppose them. If tighter regulations can boost profits, the contours of those debate may begin to change.</p>Oliver Staley, QuartzWed, 14 Mar 2018 01:19:49 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/air-pollution-bad-productivity-even-office-jobs/146649/Health & Human ServicesShutterstockSenator Casts Doubt on Chances for New Infrastructure Grant Programshttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/senate-commerce-infrastructure-fischer/146633/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/road_work_sign/medium.jpg"
alt="n this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a road construction project backs up traffic in Springfield, Ill."
title="n this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a road construction project backs up traffic in Springfield, Ill."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, the Republican&nbsp;chair of&nbsp;a Senate Commerce subcommittee that oversees transportation issues, cast doubt Tuesday on whether Congress will act this year to create any new infrastructure grant programs.</p>
<p>Her assessment comes as the Trump administration is pushing an infrastructure proposal&nbsp;that calls for a trio of substantial new&nbsp;grant initiatives. And as five cabinet secretaries prepare <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=594F1B34-4E1D-4E92-9398-DBDEE6E3CDB1">to testify</a> about the White House plan before the full Commerce Committee on Wednesday.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if we&rsquo;ll see new grant programs,&quot;&nbsp;Fischer told&nbsp;<em>Route Fifty</em>&nbsp;after a subcommittee hearing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She added: &quot;In my discussion with the administration, beginning last summer, there was talk about how grant programs, loan programs could possibly be expanded or changed. Not necessarily forming new ones. You know, we have a structure in place now. And if they need to be changed in any way, I would support that approach.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There&#39;s been a series of infrastructure hearings in recent weeks on Capitol Hill. But&nbsp;there are also signs, with the November elections approaching, that GOP enthusiasm is limited for major&nbsp;infrastructure legislation in the months ahead that will involve heaps of new cash.</p>
<p>Lawmakers are in the process of finalizing a spending bill for the current 2018 fiscal year that is <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/infrastructure-budget-deal-spending-caps/145805/" target="_blank">expected to plus-up</a> infrastructure programs by about $10 billion. But, beyond that, it&#39;s unclear where added public works money&nbsp;might come from. House Speaker Paul Ryan last week <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/paul-ryan-house-trump-infrastructure/146532/" target="_blank">came out strongly</a> against increasing the gas tax.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/paul-ryan-house-trump-infrastructure/146532/" target="_blank">He also said</a>&nbsp;House Republicans would tackle infrastructure with a series of about a half-dozen bills, some that were expected to come up this year anyway, rather than a single sweeping package.</p>
<p>Fischer, who is up for <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Deb_Fischer" target="_blank">reelection this fall</a>, said she hadn&#39;t spoken with Ryan since he made his remarks about the gas tax.</p>
<p>Taxes on gas&nbsp;and diesel are the primary federal revenues that support that Highway Trust Fund, a main account for roads and transit.</p>
<p>Fischer introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/2779d130-66ec-4666-a0d1-98d8141c46af/build-usa-infrastructure-act-2017.pdf" target="_blank">a bill</a> last February&nbsp;that&nbsp;would&nbsp;divert roughly $21 billion each year&nbsp;to the Highway Trust Fund, from revenues U.S. Customs and Border Protection&nbsp;collects&nbsp;on&nbsp;freight and passengers. The bill is currently <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/271/all-actions-without-amendments" target="_blank">parked</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It has <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/271/cosponsors" target="_blank">zero cosponsors</a>.</p>
<p>The Nebraska senator&nbsp;is upbeat about the potential for overhauling and speeding up&nbsp;environmental&nbsp;permitting and project approvals. This is another priority in Trump&#39;s infrastructure plan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s important to focus on regulations, on the permitting process,&quot; she said.&nbsp;Fischer added: &quot;It stretches tax dollars.&quot;</p>
<p>Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, has <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/" target="_blank">expressed&nbsp;similar views</a> about permitting.</p>
<p>Kyle Schneweis, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, offered testimony before&nbsp;Fischer&#39;s subcommittee on Tuesday, at a hearing titled: &quot;Rebuilding Infrastructure in America: State and Local Transportation Needs.&quot;</p>
<p>He discussed an effort by Nebraska&#39;s transportation department to assume more authority, through an existing federal framework, over the National Environmental Policy&nbsp;Act, or NEPA, one of the nation&#39;s bedrock environmental statutes.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We have the experts that do this work at the DOT. And so, to ask them to do the&nbsp;work and then hand it over for review on the federal side, and do that again and again, throughout the life of a project, it adds time that we don&#39;t feel is necessary,&quot;&nbsp;Schneweis said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&quot;We think we&rsquo;re going to be able to shave off a lot of time and therefore save money on our projects,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>Schneweis suggested opening the door for states to take on more control of other federal permitting responsibilities.</p>
<p>Also providing testimony was&nbsp;Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League and a member of the National League of Cities, a group in town <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/nlc-infrastructure/146606/" target="_blank">lobbying Congress this week</a>.</p>
<p>Gilmartin didn&#39;t pull puches describing Michigan&#39;s infrastructure to the Senate panel.</p>
<p>&quot;Our transportation infrastructure in Michigan is as bad as it&rsquo;s ever been,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>&quot;In some cases in our state, plywood is the only thing that stands between you and concrete falling down on your car,&quot; he added. &quot;That&rsquo;s in our metropolitan areas as well as our small towns.&quot;</p>
<p>Why don&#39;t local governments raise more money to fix&nbsp;roads and bridges on their own? Many are bumping up against tax cap limits, according to Gilmartin. &quot;We&#39;re tapped out,&quot; he said. &quot;This effort requires all three levels of government, federal, state and local.&quot;</p>
<p>Trump&#39;s infrastructure plan calls for three, sizable new grant initiatives.</p>
<p>One totaling $100 billion would cover a wide range of infrastructure and would favor applicants who can bring greater shares of non-federal money to the table for projects. Another, funded at a proposed $50 billion level, would support rural infrastructure and a third $20 billion program would go to to &quot;transformative projects.&quot;</p>
<p>Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, remarked during&nbsp;Tuesday&#39;s hearing that she saw&nbsp;opportunities to raise revenues for infrastructure during last year&#39;s Republican-led tax overhaul, which lowered corporate and personal tax rates. But she added: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to cry over spilled milk, or spilled taxes.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The five cabinet secretaries testifying before Senate Commerce on Wednesday include:&nbsp;Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.</p>
<p>The White House says it&#39;s the&nbsp;first time in over a decade this many cabinet officials have testified at once before a committee</p>
<p>&quot;I think that&#39;s&nbsp;going to be fascinating,&quot;&nbsp;Fischer said of the upcoming hearing.</p>Bill LuciaTue, 13 Mar 2018 21:37:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/senate-commerce-infrastructure-fischer/146633/Infrastructuren this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a road construction project backs up traffic in Springfield, Ill.AP Photo/Seth PerlmanThe Troubled Future for State Medicaid Expansionhttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/troubled-future-state-medicaid-expansion/146646/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/nurse_clinic/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>In 2012, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision in the&nbsp;NFIB v. Sebelius&nbsp;case sent shockwaves through the health-policy community, with Chief Justice John Roberts&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/supreme-court-lets-health-law-largely-stand.html">majority opinion</a>&nbsp;causing much teeth-gnashing all around. Among many conservatives, the preservation of the Affordable Care Act&rsquo;s individual mandate constituted &ldquo;<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/06/28/one-of-the-worst-supreme-court-decisions-in-american-history/">one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in American history</a>.&rdquo; For supporters of the law, the decision to turn the ACA&rsquo;s expansion of Medicaid into a state-optional program threatened to destabilize the entire project of expanding coverage to the poorest Americans. For them, Roberts&rsquo;s decision was, to borrow a phrase from&nbsp;The Atlantic&rsquo;s&nbsp;first editor James Russell Lowell, &ldquo;a good umbrella but a poor roof.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In the five years since that decision, the worst predictions have yet to come true. Before its repeal last year, the individual mandate hadn&rsquo;t become a springboard for more tax-enforced big-government reforms. And Obamacare hasn&rsquo;t been undone by the optional Medicaid expansion.</p>
<p>The Court&rsquo;s decision has, however, substantially altered the ability of the ACA to meet the affordability or access goals envisioned by its architects. Most states have chosen to expand the program, but others have held out instead, making the goal of gradual expansion of insurance to almost everyone impossible, at least in the foreseeable future. Through its sheer size and inertia, the biggest health reform in a half-century has become like most other American mega-policies: too big to truly collapse, but not quite ambitious enough to solve the problem.</p>
<p>At least, that was its state before Donald Trump entered the picture. Despite his promises to repeal the ACA, the president has taken steps that could effectively cement the expansion&rsquo;s reach into every state. Several hardcore anti-Obamacare states now suddenly find themselves contemplating expansion, motivated by conservative reforms championed by Trump&rsquo;s administration. Yet, paradoxically, if these reforms do help Medicaid expansion reach every&nbsp;state, they will almost certainly destroy the ability of health-insurance coverage to reach every&nbsp;person.</p>
<p>The peculiarity of this moment is evident in what states are suddenly eyeing Medicaid expansion, which offers health coverage to more low-income, able-bodied, non-elderly adults than the original program.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/03/06/house-passes-weaker-medicaid-expansion-than-one-proposed-by-a-more-generous-voter-initiative/">It appears likely</a>&nbsp;that Republican-dominated Utah will make a move at some point in the near future. The Virginia legislature is on the brink of approving some kind of&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/can-virginia-governors-friendly-bonds-with-republicans-translate-into-medicaid-expansion-win/">framework for expansion</a>&nbsp;on a bipartisan basis. Maine just recently expanded Medicaid, and similar ballot initiatives&nbsp;<a href="http://journalstar.com/legislature/medicaid-expansion-petition-drive-on-its-way-to-nebraska/article_67a66b3e-5cf9-5604-815f-794a92273be1.html">in Idaho and Nebraska</a>&nbsp;might yield expansions, too. From top to bottom, even in the most conservative states, there seems to be more energy in the direction of expanding Medicaid than there has ever been.</p>
<p>But there&rsquo;s also unprecedented energy for changing state Medicaid programs in some of those same conservative states, often in ways that tighten and restrict eligibility. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/5/17040424/trump-medicaid-cuts-explained">Vox&nbsp;notes</a>, a dozen or more states are now applying for or considering federal-government waivers that would allow them to implement work requirements, time limits, or drug tests in their respective programs. Those include Republican-led states that have already expanded Medicaid, like Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and New Hampshire. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have already signed off on conservative-oriented waivers in those areas&mdash;including one for Arkansas&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-look-at-the-private-option-in-arkansas/">private option</a>,&rdquo; which provides able-bodied adults on Medicaid with coverage through private insurance plans.</p>
<p>The potential for the federal government to approve further conservative reforms, such as work requirements, was an important consideration in those states when choosing to expand their programs. And in January, CMS obliged, with Administrator Seema Verma agreeing to approve work requirements in state Medicaid waivers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/medicaid-work-requirements-jobs-guarantee/550301/">for the first time</a>. The first state to have such a waiver approved was Kentucky, which&mdash;in addition to implementing the new work standards&mdash;assigned a premium structure to able-bodied adults&rsquo; plans, along with lockouts for those who don&rsquo;t pay. CMS approved similar waivers from Indiana and Arkansas&nbsp;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/05/news/economy/arkansas-medicaid-work-requirements/index.html">in February</a>. (Some states, like Mississippi and Oklahoma, still aren&rsquo;t considering an expansion of Medicaid, but they are weighing work requirements for the small population of able-bodied adults covered under their existing Medicaid programs.)</p>
<p>In some conservative states still without Medicaid expansion, lawmakers&rsquo; deliberation over work requirements will be critical to their ultimate decision. For example, the Utah House recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/03/06/house-passes-weaker-medicaid-expansion-than-one-proposed-by-a-more-generous-voter-initiative/">passed a bill</a>&nbsp;approving a limited, eligibility-restricted Medicaid expansion with a work requirement in order to stave off pressure from a citizen-led ballot initiative that supports full expansion without any such restriction. The bill now sits before the state Senate.</p>
<p>Utah&rsquo;s example is instructive, especially given the ongoing wave of pro-expansion ballot initiatives hitting conservative-leaning states. Maine Governor Paul LePage, a Republican, pushed back hard against an expansion initiative last fall, and even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/11/07/maine-could-become-the-first-state-to-expand-medicaid-by-ballot-initiative/?utm_term=.7ba7c87f85a6">threatened not to implement</a>&nbsp;the passed reform, which would have been a violation of state and federal law. Now, Maine is at the front of the queue seeking CMS approval for work requirements for its new expansion program. In the face of a petition to expand Medicaid in Nebraska, some state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="http://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/major-shift-as-trump-opens-way-for-medicaid-work-requirement/article_da3bc764-f6f1-11e7-93be-2f6cd2fae39c.html">have also suggested</a>&nbsp;adding the restrictions. And with Idaho petitioners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho/articles/2018-01-31/work-requirement-added-to-plan-to-close-idaho-coverage-gap">making headway</a>&nbsp;on yet another ballot initiative, a plan to create a more limited expansion with work requirements is&nbsp;<a href="http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2018/jan/31/new-work-requirement-added-dual-waiver-bill-raises-concerns-among-health-advocacy-groups/">now circulating</a>&nbsp;in the state legislature.</p>
<p>These states illustrate two trends. First, popular support for full expansion is growing&mdash;reflecting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-february-2018-health-care-2018-midterms-proposed-changes-to-medicaid/">record-high public opinion</a>&nbsp;for the ACA across the country&mdash;even among conservative voters and in conservative-leaning areas. That growing energy is manifesting in the bipartisan ballot initiatives and other campaigns that seek to circumvent GOP state legislators and governors, who often still oppose the measures. Second, facing the turning tide of public opinion, those GOP state leaders are choosing to stonewall or make expansion as restrictive as possible.</p>
<p>The latter course of action is gaining steam, with assistance from Verma. But the reforms, touted as maximizing states&rsquo; flexibility, have but one major outcome: They cover fewer people. The net effect of work requirements, premiums, and lockout periods will be fewer enrollees, and more people will be kicked off for failure to work or pay premiums.</p>
<p>With more and more states eyeing work requirements&mdash;and more conservative legislators considering them as mechanisms to get out in front of public opinion, while simultaneously constraining state programs&mdash;these reforms actually stand to short-circuit the ACA&rsquo;s intent to give coverage to more people, even as they might prompt more states to get in the expansion game. Widespread eligibility restrictions could offset the benefits of providing greater access to care for low-income individuals, and set the stage for the creation of a limited, punitive Medicaid regime nationwide.</p>
<p>That appears to be the point. While appetite for full Obamacare repeal has died down, and CMS has recently accepted that the ACA is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/8/17098604/idaho-obamacare-trump-letter-cms">the law of the land</a>, the push to tightly constrain Medicaid budgets and caseloads is only ramping up. The Trump administration&rsquo;s strategy for Medicaid appears particularly Odyssean: By providing more states with the mechanisms to expand Medicaid, they also provide the ultimate tools for shrinking it.</p>Vann R. Newkirk II, The AtlanticTue, 13 Mar 2018 20:31:39 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/troubled-future-state-medicaid-expansion/146646/Health & Human ServicesShutterstock‘Holy Grail for Snow Geeks’ Looks to Produce More Accurate Water Forecastshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/snowpack-california-tool/146645/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/lake_tahoe_california/medium.jpg"
alt="South Lake Tahoe, California"
title="South Lake Tahoe, California"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government news stories that caught our attention &hellip;</em></p>
<p><strong>WATER |</strong> New <strong>aerial laser technology </strong>is being used by <strong>NASA&rsquo;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory </strong>in partnership with state and local agencies to get <strong>continuous measurements</strong> of <strong>California&rsquo;s mountain snowpack</strong>, aiding on-the-ground efforts to produce <strong>more accurate water forecasts</strong> for cities and farmers. &ldquo;<strong>This really is the holy grail for snow geeks</strong>,&rdquo; <strong>Frank Gehrke</strong>, the chief snow surveyor for the <strong>California Department of Water Resources</strong>, said of the new measurement method, which uses <strong>LIDAR</strong> and detailed mapping of snowpacks and watersheds to deliver more data on the amount of potential snowmelt. Another late winter storm, meanwhile, is expected to dump more mountain snow on the <strong>Sierra Nevada </strong>this week. [<a href="http://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/03/08/how-nasa-lasers-and-new-technology-help-measure-californias-snowpack-with-exceptional-accuracy/"><em>Capital Public Radio</em></a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/973634807623274496"><em>@NWSSacramanto</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rain transitions to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snow</a> for the mountains tonight. Here&#39;s what you can expect through Wednesday afternoon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cawx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cawx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sierra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sierra</a> <a href="https://t.co/8qVjOu2WE1">pic.twitter.com/8qVjOu2WE1</a></p>
&mdash; NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/973634807623274496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>Water managers in <strong>Idaho</strong> are think that farmers will <strong>see normal irrigation levels</strong> this year thanks to <strong>historic snow levels</strong> last year. Rivers should also continue to run high, giving a boost to the state&rsquo;s rafting industry. [<a href="http://boisestatepublicradio.org/post/idaho-snowpack-levels-paint-rosy-picture-farmers-and-river-rafters"><em>Boise Public State Public Radio</em></a>]</p>
<p>During a visit to the <strong>Klamath Basin </strong>region in the southern part of her state, <strong>Oregon Gov. Kate Brown</strong> warned of difficult months ahead for local residents and tribal members due to the <strong>ongoing drought conditions</strong>. The governor <strong>signed an executive order </strong>to &ldquo;make state resources available to provide immediate relief and assistance.&rdquo; Snowpack levels in the region have <strong>only been 40 percent of normal</strong>.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today I signed an Executive Order declaring a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/drought?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#drought</a> in Klamath County. We know 2018 is shaping up to be a very difficult year for the Klamath Basin and I&#39;m committed to doing everything possible to make state resources available to provide immediate relief and assistance. <a href="https://t.co/JRPsOujz0u">pic.twitter.com/JRPsOujz0u</a></p>
&mdash; Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OregonGovBrown/status/973633461553586176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>[<a href="https://twitter.com/OregonGovBrown/status/973633461553586176"><em>@OregonGovBrown</em></a>; <a href="http://ijpr.org/post/oregon-governor-visits-klamath-county-discuss-severe-drought#stream/0"><em>Jefferson Public Radio</em></a>]</p>
<p>Further south, in parts of <strong>Arizona</strong> and <strong>New Mexico</strong>, the water situation has been dismal. &ldquo;<strong>It&rsquo;s really bad out there</strong>,&rdquo; according to Vice Mayor <strong>Mark Clark</strong> of <strong>Bullhead City</strong>, Arizona. Low levels of precipitation in the <strong>Lower Colorado River Basin</strong> in recent months could trigger possible reductions in water deliveries from river to the <strong>Central Arizona Project</strong>, which supplies water to <strong>Phoenix</strong> and <strong>Tucson</strong>, along with agricultural interests in parts of central and southern Arizona. [<a href="http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/parts-of-mohave-county-now-listed-in-severe-drought/article_88c8e308-2685-11e8-a97f-bb74c3a45cbc.html"><em>Mohave Daily News</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC HEALTH | </strong>Among major U.S. cities, the opioid abuse epidemic has hit <strong>Philadelphia</strong> particularly hard: In three years,<strong> 3,000 people have died</strong> and there may be <strong>70,000 people using heroin</strong> in <strong>Pennsylvania</strong>&rsquo;s largest city. But public health advocates fear that some city leaders are &ldquo;<strong>only just beginning to consider the contours of the crisis</strong>&rdquo; and don&rsquo;t have a coherent response strategy. [<a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/health/addiction/council-hearing-on-opioid-epidemic-airs-complex-concerns-basic-questions-amid-a-spiraling-crisis-20180312.html"><em>The Inquirer / Philly.com</em></a>]</p>
<p>While a new state report shows that <strong>Vermont</strong> has made some headway when it comes to stopping its opioid-related deaths, the number of fatal <strong>fentanyl-related overdoses</strong> attributed to or in part to fentanyl continues to climb. There were 68 fatal fentanyl-related overdoses in 2017, <strong>a 33 percent increase</strong> over the previous year. [<a href="https://vtdigger.org/2018/03/12/fatal-fentanyl-overdoses-surged-2017/"><em>VT Digger]</em></a></p>
<p>After <strong>a groundwater monitoring program</strong> found &ldquo;<strong>startlingly high levels of radioactivity</strong>&rdquo; near 11 of 18 <strong>Duke Energy</strong> power plants, the energy company described the findings as &ldquo;<strong>premature</strong>&rdquo; and <strong>disputed the characterization of the report </strong>from the <strong>Waterkeeper Alliance</strong>. Meanwhile, others say that Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy, which provides electricity across the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, isn&rsquo;t being totally forthcoming with the numbers. &ldquo;The way Duke Energy presented its data showed a clear intent to obscure the findings,&rdquo; said <strong>Lisa Evan, an</strong> <strong>Earthjustice</strong> senior administrative counsel and coal ash expert. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/03/12/radioactivity-found-near-lake-julian-duke-calls-premature/416242002/"><em>The Citizen-Times</em></a>; <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2018/groundwater-monitoring-reveals-widespread-radioactivity-at-duke-energy-coal-plants"><em>Earthjustice</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION | </strong>A <strong>Washington State Court of Appeals</strong> panel decided that <strong>local governments have the authority to prohibit marijuana sales</strong> in their jurisdictions. The ruling in <strong><em>Emerald Enterprises v. Clark County</em></strong> said that while Washington state law &ldquo;<strong>permits the retail sale of marijuana, it does not grant retailers an affirmative right to sell marijuana.</strong>&rdquo;<em> </em>[<a href="https://atg.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=28a64d02479d9d79402df2b20&amp;id=a1dee4c92d&amp;e=fe106ae4c1"><em>Emerald Enterprises v. Clark County</em></a><em>; </em><a href="http://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/appeals-court-agrees-ag-opinion-local-marijuana-bans"><em>Washington Attorney Bob Ferguson</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC SAFETY | </strong>Federal, state and local law enforcement continue to investigate <strong>a series of small but deadly package explosions</strong> that&rsquo;s killed two residents in<strong> Austin, Texas. </strong>Local authorities cautioned people to not open unexpected or suspicious packages The <strong>Austin Police Department</strong> has <strong>responded to 200 calls from the public</strong> reporting suspicious packages, none of which turned out to be dangerous. <strong>Mayor Steve Austin </strong>stressed that his city, in the middle of the annual SXSW festival, is safe. &quot;<strong>The most important thing for people to know is that we are a safe city, and we will continue to be a safe city,</strong>&quot; Adler said. [<a href="http://kut.org/post/austin-police-have-received-200-calls-about-suspicious-packages-after-explosions"><em>KUT</em></a>; <a href="http://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/mayor-says-austin-is-still-a-safe-city-as-officials-investigate-package-explosions/269-528079700"><em>KVUE</em></a>]</p>
<p>Money being used to<strong> improve security at schools</strong> in <strong>Broward County, Florida </strong>is being used &ldquo;<strong>at the expense of regular funds the district receives</strong>.&rdquo; According to school board member <strong>Rosalind Osgood</strong>: &ldquo;<strong>Everyone is focusing on school safety, but people don&rsquo;t know the money is coming from somewhere else. It&rsquo;s not any new money. It&rsquo;s a tradeoff.</strong>&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-inclusion-workshop-20180312-story.html"><em>Sun-Sentinel</em></a>]</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/13/cincinnati_city_hall.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cincinnati City Hal (Shutterstock)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>CITY HALLS |</strong> After &ldquo;<strong>more than a week of public acrimony</strong>&rdquo; at <strong>Cincinnati City Hall</strong> related to a dispute over the departure of the assistant police chief, <strong>City Manager Harry Black</strong> will be leaving his position according to an agreement he reached with <strong>Mayor John Cranley</strong>. The mayor has been seeking Black&rsquo;s resignation, though the City Council would ultimately need to approve any such agreement, which has not been finalized. [<a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/13/city-manager-harry-black-seen-briefly-cincinnati-city-hall-john-cranley-video/421049002/"><em>The Enquirer / Cincinnati.com</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>David Briley</strong>, the vice mayor of <strong>Nashville, Tennessee</strong> who assumed the mayorship when <strong>Megan Barry</strong> resigned last week, is juggling a handful of priorities, including supporting an ambitious <strong>$5.4 billion transit-expansion measure</strong> that&rsquo;s on the May 1 ballot and starting budget discussions with Metro Nashville government departments. [<a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/03/09/nashville-mayor-david-briley-q-briley-tough-road-ahead-citys-new-mayor/409283002/"><em>The Tennessean</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Santa Monica, California City Manager Rick Cole</strong> announced the selection of <strong>Cynthia Renaud</strong>, the current police chief in <strong>Folsom, California</strong>, as the Southern California city&rsquo;s top cop. &ldquo;The selection process was a rigorous one that resulted in someone who understands and practices 21st Century policing&mdash;using technology, data and community partnerships to fight crime and the fear of crime&mdash;and build trust that Santa Monica&rsquo;s Police Department will be fair, equitable, constitutional, humane and <em>effective,</em>&rdquo; Cole said in a statement. [<a href="http://smdp.com/santa-monica-names-new-police-chief/164888"><em>Daily Press</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Denver City Council</strong> member <strong>Rafael </strong><strong>Espinoza</strong> says that there should be <strong>an outside investigation</strong> into allegations that <strong>Mayor Michael Hancock </strong>sent inappropriate texts to a Denver police detective had been assigned to his security detail. [<a href="http://www.westword.com/news/michael-hancock-text-scandal-needs-outside-investigation-councilman-says-10082800"><em>Westword</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>BROADBAND | Spokane, Washington</strong>, the second most-populous city in the Evergreen State, has created a working group to examine options for how it could <strong>build out a</strong> <strong>municipal broadband</strong> network. &ldquo;<strong>There&rsquo;s a huge digital divide between the haves, and the have nots</strong>,&rdquo; according to City Councilman <strong>Breean Beggs</strong>, who is sponsoring the plan. &ldquo;<strong>I think we&rsquo;re just now beginning to understand what can be accomplished with broadband</strong>.&rdquo; Spokane is looking to other cities for broadband-expansion models, including <strong>Ammon, Idaho</strong> and the <strong>Grant County Public Utility District</strong> in central Washington state, where 70 percent of residents have high-speed connectivity. [<a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/mar/13/spokane-explores-publicly-owned-broadband-network-/"><em>Spokesman Review</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>HOUSING | </strong>In <strong>Southern California</strong>, which has been facing a challenging housing crunch, <strong>most of the new homes in the region have been built in fire-prone areas</strong> on the fringes of urbanized areas, &ldquo;<strong>where neighborhoods are surrounded by canyons, hills or other open land covered in flammable vegetation</strong>,&rdquo; according to a newly released report. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of <strong>new houses constructed in former wildfire-burn areas</strong> increased 62 percent. According to <strong>Volker Radeloff</strong>, a forest ecologist at <strong>University of Wisconsin-Madison</strong> who was the lead author on the study, that <strong>outpaced the average U.S. housing growth</strong> rate of 29 percent. [<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/03/06/1718850115"><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em></a>; <a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/03/12/81588/housing-construction-is-fastest-in-most-fire-prone/"><em>Southern California Public Radio</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |</strong> In <strong>Seattle</strong>, the owners of <strong>Northgate Mall</strong> plan to<strong> redevelop the aging suburban shopping center</strong>, which opened in 1950, into <strong>a higher-density mixed-use development</strong> with offices, a hotel and &ldquo;hundreds&rdquo; of residential units built adjacent to a growing transit hub about eight miles north of downtown. While Northgate&rsquo;s freeway-adjacent retail footprint would shrink somewhat, the area would become more dense under the transformation planned by the Indianapolis-based <strong>Simon Property Group</strong>. &nbsp;An extension of <strong>Sound Transit</strong>&rsquo;s <strong>Link light-rail system</strong> that&rsquo;s currently under construction will bring train service to Northgate starting in 2023, giving employers a transit-accessible alternative to high rents in booming areas in Seattle, like <strong>South Lake Union</strong>, and other regional hubs, like <strong>Bellevue</strong>. Seattle has designated the Northgate area as one of its urban villages where new housing is concentrated. About 1,000 new apartments have been added to the Northgate area in the past 10 years and 3,500 more homes are expected by 2035. &nbsp;[<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/northgate-mall-readies-huge-overhaul-with-office-and-housing-elements-as-north-seattle-neighborhood-transforms/"><em>The Seattle Times</em></a>; <a href="https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/3/9/17102660/northgate-mall-development-light-rail"><em>Curbed</em></a>; <a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2018/03/12/mall-overlord-proposes-northgate-redevelopment-finally/"><em>The Urbanist</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassTue, 13 Mar 2018 20:16:52 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/snowpack-california-tool/146645/Tech & DataSouth Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaShutterstock5G Faceoff on Capitol Hillhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/5g-broadband-senate-commerce-subcommittee/146641/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/5g/medium.jpeg"
alt="Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray details T-Mobile&#39;s plans to build a nationwide 5G network in the U.S. at Mobile World Congress on Feb. 27 in Barcelona, Spain."
title="Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray details T-Mobile&#39;s plans to build a nationwide 5G network in the U.S. at Mobile World Congress on Feb. 27 in Barcelona, Spain."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The conflict between local self-reliance advocates and the wireless industry over streamlining 5G deployment was on full display at the <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=CD8E48E0-A230-46F9-B00F-0C20D0278B19">Senate Commerce technology subcommittee hearing</a> on broadband infrastructure Tuesday on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>Industry representatives present relayed a sense of urgency that China could beat the U.S. in the race to 5G, if small-cell installation isn&rsquo;t exempted from burdensome reviews required by the National Historic Preservation and National Environmental Policy acts.</p>
<p>Wilton Manors, Florida Mayor Gary Resnick, the panel&rsquo;s lone local official, urged the senators present to give local governments more of a voice in broadband policymaking and preserve their authority to deal directly with wireless providers on permitting and leasing public rights of way.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The [Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee] drafted a model code for states without the input of any single local official, so we do not feel right now that the [Federal Communications Commission] is serious in engaging in dialogue with local governments,&rdquo; Resnick said. &ldquo;And we think that that&rsquo;s going to result in bad broadband policy, frankly.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/">FCC</a> will <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/5g-preemption-coming/146490/">vote to exempt small cell deployment</a> from federal historic preservation and environmental reviews at its March 22 meeting and move on to the BDAC&rsquo;s recommendations to decrease permitting times and lease costs.</p>
<p>All four national wireless carriers have announced accelerated deployments of 5G in 2018, to the tune of $275 billion in private capital, to keep pace with billions being spent on more than 100 active trials in China.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Right now we are on the cusp of 5G, the fifth generation of wireless, and we are in a race; it is a global race,&rdquo; said Brad Gillen, executive vice president of <a href="https://www.ctia.org/">CTIA - The Wireless Association</a>. &ldquo;The head of Nokia noted two weeks ago we are neck and neck with China to lead the world in 5G, and this is a race that China wants to win.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Gillen envisions having 800,000 small cells in place by 2026&mdash;more than five times the 150,000 cell towers across the U.S. installed in a third of the time. But both he and <a href="https://ccamobile.org/">Competitive Carriers Association</a> CEO Steve Berry, who represents smaller providers mostly, complained permitting applications can take as many as two years to approve, necessitating refiling if the technology has been upgraded in that time.</p>
<p>FCC rules must be modernized for timely deployment, Gillen said, deployment that always starts in the densest urban areas.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As major wireless companies tout winning the race for 5G, too many people in New Mexico and those living on tribal lands are stuck without 1G,&rdquo; said Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat representing the state. &ldquo;While carriers have been vocal about what they see as delays, I hear from many rural areas and tribal communities these same carriers are refusing to build towers or serve those areas.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Private capital alone isn&rsquo;t enough to make the business case for 5G everywhere, Berry said, so more federal funding is needed. He suggested West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-introduces-legislation-to-accelerate-broadband-access-in-rural-america">Gigabit Opportunity Act</a>, which would target broadband investments, was one possibility.</p>
<p>Bob DeBroux, vice president of regulatory affairs for <a href="https://tdstelecom.com/">TDS Telecom</a>, said that Congress should increase funding to the FCC&rsquo;s <a href="https://transition.fcc.gov/wcb/ACAM040115.pdf">Alternative Connect America Cost Model</a> and <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/general/universal-service-high-cost-areas-connect-america-fund">Universal Service for High Cost Areas</a> programs. The Madison, Wisconsin-based telecommunications company used $75 million through the latter to serve 165,000 households in the Badger State and southeast Mississippi.</p>
<p>Small cells get their name because they provide coverage to small areas, Resnick said, so while they&rsquo;re profitable downtown, that&rsquo;s not the case in rural America and even parts of the &ldquo;inner city&rdquo; in, say, Tallahassee. Florida law doesn&rsquo;t require build outs, but municipal broadband could fill the void&mdash;barring it&rsquo;s not preempted by a state government, as has been the case in North Carolina and elsewhere.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re talking about ways to engage local governments and make sure the needs of our communities are met, we should not forget about the possibility of municipal broadband systems,&rdquo; Resnick said. &ldquo;Too often we are preempted from doing so, especially at the state level.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirTue, 13 Mar 2018 16:57:44 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/5g-broadband-senate-commerce-subcommittee/146641/Tech & DataChief Technology Officer Neville Ray details T-Mobile's plans to build a nationwide 5G network in the U.S. at Mobile World Congress on Feb. 27 in Barcelona, Spain.Manu Fernandez / AP PhotoMedicaid Makes Up Largest Share of Grants to Stateshttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/medicaid-makes-largest-share-grants-states/146622/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/montana_hospital/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2018/03/12/medicaid-makes-up-largest-share-of-grants-to-states">originally published</a> by The Pew Charitable Trusts&#39; Fiscal Federalism Initiative and was written by Phillip Oliff.</em></p>
<p>About two-thirds of federal grant dollars to the states&mdash;67 percent&mdash;were for Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2017/12/two-thirds-of-federal-grants-to-states-are-for-medicaid">in 2017</a>, by far the largest category of grants. While funding for this health care program for low-income families and individuals topped the list in all but one state, the mix of funding among the other grant categories varied from state to state.</p>
<p>Medicaid accounted for 75.5 percent of federal grants to New York, but only 21.2 percent of grants to Wyoming, the only state where Medicaid was not the largest category of grants received. &nbsp;In 21 states and the District of Columbia, Medicaid funding represented two-thirds or more of total grant money from the federal government. For Wyoming, the largest category of federal grants included money from leasing rights to minerals extracted on public lands. (For more information on federal grants and state budgets, see &ldquo;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2016/08/funding-from-federal-grants-varies-as-a-share-of-state-budgets">Funding From Federal Grants Varies as a Share of State Budgets</a>.&rdquo;)</p>
<p>Other grant categories typically had smaller shares than those for Medicaid, but specifics varied</p>
<p>While Medicaid generally makes up the largest share of grants to states, other categories make up smaller but still substantial portions of federal funding to states. (See &ldquo;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2017/12/two-thirds-of-federal-grants-to-states-are-for-medicaid">Two-Thirds of Federal Grants to States Are for Medicaid</a>.&rdquo;) After Medicaid, the next-largest funding category in 2017 was for income security programs (13 percent of the total allocated to states), followed by transportation programs (8 percent) and education (6 percent).</p>
<p><strong>Income Security Grants</strong></p>
<p>Among the income security programs are temporary cash assistance, employment services, and school-provided meals, for example. The percentage of grants to states for income security programs ranged from 18.4 percent in Nebraska to 7.8 percent in Wyoming.</p>
<p><strong>Transportation Grants</strong></p>
<p>Grants to states for transportation programs showed similar variation. Transportation grant money funds programs such as surface transportation block grants, Federal Aviation Administration airport improvements, and Federal Highway Administration programs. The share of transportation grants was highest in Alaska at 26.8 percent, while New York&rsquo;s was the lowest at 3.5 percent.</p>
<p><strong>Education Grants</strong></p>
<p>States experienced less variation in what percentage of their total grant funding went to education programs. Federal funding to states supports education programs such as Title I local education funding, special education, and career and technical education. Education grants accounted for 9.5 percent of the total grant funding received by South Dakota, but only 3.7 percent of the total for the District of Columbia in 2017.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/13/Medicaid_Graph_990px.png" />
<figcaption>(The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p></p>Phillip Oliff, The Pew Charitable TrustsTue, 13 Mar 2018 13:22:27 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/medicaid-makes-largest-share-grants-states/146622/Health & Human ServicesShutterstockCities Join the Branding Bonanzahttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/we_dc_sxsw/medium.jpg"
alt="The WeDC House in Austin, Texas"
title="The WeDC House in Austin, Texas"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas &mdash; Cities from across the nation are promoting themselves as hubs for the creative and savvy. Whether it&rsquo;s<a href="https://nychouse.splashthat.com/"> New York City</a>,<a href="https://technical.ly/philly/2018/03/02/sxsw-amplify-philly-house/"> Philadelphia</a>,<a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article204002899.html"> Fort Worth</a>, or<a href="https://www.chooseatl.com/sxsw"> Atlanta</a>, cities are choosing to set up destinations during the annual SXSW festival that give the city a brand, and innovators and startups a destination to learn more about the community.</p>
<p>The ultimate goal? To build local economic development by putting the city front and center to the hundreds of thousands of innovators and entrepreneurs who descend on Austin for the week.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Showcasing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FortWorthNow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FortWorthNow</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/sxsw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sxsw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FairMarketATX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FairMarketATX</a> to promote business &amp; tourismwith <a href="https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LockheedMartin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BellFlight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BellFlight</a> &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/HillwoodDevelop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HillwoodDevelop</a> <a href="https://t.co/2LyURCA3xd">pic.twitter.com/2LyURCA3xd</a></p>
&mdash; Fort Worth Chamber (@FTWChamber) <a href="https://twitter.com/FTWChamber/status/973555204997238785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>One of the staples over the past few years is the <a href="https://wedchouse.splashthat.com/">WeDC House</a>, where the nation&rsquo;s capital shows off its non-federal side to the technology, venture capital, music and film industries that swarm SXSW.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Last year we broke all sorts of records as far as our own personal activation numbers, having over 9,000 people come through the WeDC house in two and a half days, and having social media hits north of 483 million impressions,&rdquo; Keith Sellars, president of the Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership told <em>Route Fifty</em>. According to Sellars, whose organization partners with the city every year on the project, the WeDC house was &ldquo;trending with some of the top brands&rdquo; during SXSW 2017.</p>
<p>Like&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.dell.com/en-us/dell-technologies-brings-the-experience-to-sxsw-2018/">Dell</a> and hundreds of other corporate brands that also build out spaces in Austin for SXSW, the branding allows them to build awareness and market to those who are looking to invest or even settle in new areas.</p>
<p>For Washington, D.C., the message to the 400,000-plus people who attend SXSW is that the city is the &ldquo;capital of inclusive innovation,&rdquo; according to D.C. Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner<em>.</em></p>
<p>&ldquo;We feel like we have got a few competitive advantages,&rdquo; Kenner explained to <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;We know that we are not going to be Silicon Valley; we are not trying to be Silicon Valley, but we do know &hellip; we have the highest percentage of female entrepreneurs in technology and innovation; we know we have one of the country&rsquo;s highest concentration of people of color entrepreneurs.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The message and the strengths of the city are on full display this year, as the WeDC House hosts conversations like &ldquo;Demystifying the Female Founder,&rdquo; as well as a technology pitch competition hosted by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blackgirlventures.org/">Black Girl Ventures</a>.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&#39;re here! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeDC</a> House, 709 E 6th St! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SXSW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SXSW</a> <a href="https://t.co/3ucHP7LO2u">pic.twitter.com/3ucHP7LO2u</a></p>
&mdash; Joycelyn James (@jfjamesesq) <a href="https://twitter.com/jfjamesesq/status/972879591521095681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>It&rsquo;s not the traditional transactional economic development work that most think of cities doing at most trade shows&mdash;but it isn&rsquo;t supposed to be.</p>
<p>Sellars points out there&rsquo;s efficiency at the festival, explaining that &ldquo;you can hit it on multiple platforms versus doing a one-off in various cities, you can reach these people by telling your story in one place to various audiences.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The younger generation, they&rsquo;re receiving information minute-by-minute, hourly, so branding your city, getting those positive messages about your city, is very efficient, and very effective,&rdquo; Sellars said.</p>
<p>Kenner keeps track of opportunities created through the &ldquo;activation&rdquo; at SXSW, and says it is not only just getting companies and startups interested in locating themselves in the district, but also creating opportunities for those startups from the city to have a central place to promote their brand and create that special SXSW collaborative convergence.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When we are able to create those positive reverberations it does nothing but really help,&rdquo; said Kenner.</p>
<p><strong>Building a Brand</strong></p>
<p>Washington, D.C.&rsquo;s branding success at SXSW wasn&rsquo;t built overnight. Rather, it was slow and intentional work aimed at large economic concerns that were on the horizon.</p>
<p>In 2013, agreements in Congress over &ldquo;sequestration&rdquo; signaled the potential for long-term contraction of the District of Columbia&rsquo;s largest employer, Uncle Sam.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We started thinking about, being the innovative government we are, how can we diversify our economy, and we saw the tech sector as an awesome opportunity to do so,&rdquo; Chanda Washington, Kenner&rsquo;s communications director, told <em>Route Fifty.</em></p>
<p>Kenner, Sellars and leaders from the local public and private sector have been growing D.C.&rsquo;s SXSW presence slowly and deliberately ever since. That meant talking with cities who had built presences at the conference in multiple different ways before taking their first dip in the water with a small space and then ultimately a large house.</p>
<p>Early on, the District&rsquo;s presence was more &ldquo;scattershot,&rdquo; according to Kenner. &ldquo;We were trying to focus a little bit in film, a little bit in tech, a little bit in music, a little bit in lots of different things.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kenner says D.C. ultimately identified more success by focusing on its core &ldquo;pillars.&rdquo; He and Sellars would suggest other cities looking to build a brand at SXSW do the same.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My biggest takeaway is just go for what you&rsquo;re good at&mdash;find your strengths and then focus on that because that&rsquo;s where you&rsquo;re going to get your impact from,&rdquo; Kenner said.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO from <em>Route Fifty</em>&rsquo;s coverage from SXSW 2018:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/">To Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Look to the Sewers</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">Civic I/O Tech Pitch: The Winners and Finalists</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/">The President of Everywhere, USA</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/">For Cities, Creativity and Convergence Need to Be the Norm</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/">The Mayor&rsquo;s Life at SXSW</a></strong></li>
</ul>Mitch HerckisTue, 13 Mar 2018 12:31:07 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/Tech & DataThe WeDC House in Austin, TexasMitch Herckis / Route FiftyFAA Expands Instant-Approval Flight Plan Program for Droneshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/faa-expands-instant-approval-flight-plan-program-drones/146611/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/13/drones_flight/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Drone pilots will soon be able to get instant permission from the government to fly in the controlled airspace around some 500 nationwide airports.</p>
<p>The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday it will expand testing of a prototype system for automatically processing requests from drone operators to fly near airports. The agency will roll out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/uas_data_exchange/">Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability</a>at about 300 air traffic facilities by mid-September, said FAA Administrator Dan Elwell at the annual UAS Symposium.</p>
<p>Under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2017/05/drones-flying-airports-coming-soonish/137619/">current FAA regulations</a>, drone pilots only can fly at altitudes below 400 feet, and their vehicles must remain in line of sight. They&rsquo;re prohibited from flying over people, which rules out most urban areas, and from flying within five miles of an airport without notifying air traffic control.</p>
<p>That five-mile berth becomes fairly restrictive given the density of airports in certain parts of the country, and the FAA&rsquo;s current system for authorizing flight plans can take up to 90 days. Once deployed, LAANC would drastically reduce the waiting time.</p>
<p>Using the system, drone pilots can apply for waivers through a mobile app and get them approved almost immediately. The system also provides pilots&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/uas/request_waiver/uas_facility_maps/">with maps</a>&nbsp;detailing flight restrictions in certain areas and gives air traffic controllers a real-time view where drones are operating.</p>
<p>FAA plans to kick off the nationwide beta test on April 30 and complete the rollout by Sept. 30. The agency has already struck deals with four companies&mdash;AirMap, Google&rsquo;s Project Wing, Rockwell Collins and Skyward&mdash;to provide LAANC services, but groups can apply to join the program until a May 16.</p>
<p>The program marks &ldquo;an important step&rdquo; in developing the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/uas/research/utm/">Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management</a>&nbsp;system, a joint effort by FAA, NASA and other agencies to build a network to oversee low-altitude drone operations.</p>Jack Corrigan, NextgovTue, 13 Mar 2018 02:15:02 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/faa-expands-instant-approval-flight-plan-program-drones/146611/Tech & DataShutterstockCity Leaders Prepare for an Infrastructure Lobbying Pushhttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/nlc-infrastructure/146606/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/north_carolina_bridge_construction/medium.jpg"
alt="A bridge under construction in North Carolina."
title="A bridge under construction in North Carolina."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; City leaders from across the U.S. vowed Monday to keep pressure on Congress to advance infrastructure legislation.</p>
<p>Infrastructure is the marquee issue at the National League of Cities 2018 Congressional City Conference taking place here this week. Over 2,000 city officials are attending the event and more than 200 NLC delegates have about 150 meetings planned on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no secret,&rdquo; Little Rock, Arkansas Mayor Mark Stodola, the current president of the National League of Cities, said at a press conference Monday, &ldquo;America has an infrastructure problem.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Stodola cited congested transit systems, worn out roads and failing waterworks to make his point.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our needs must be a shared national priority, it cannot just be done by local government and state government alone,&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>NLC&#39;s lobbying push comes as the Trump administration continues to&nbsp;pitch a White House public works proposal released last month. The plan calls for $200 billion of federal spending, largely for new grant programs. It is also aimed at&nbsp;speeding-up project approval times.</p>
<p>Unclear for now is to what extent Congress plans to incorporate President Trump&rsquo;s blueprint into any forthcoming legislation.</p>
<p>Local government advocacy groups have <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-plan-local-governments/146006/" target="_blank">generally welcomed</a> the&nbsp;infrastructure discussions President Trump&rsquo;s plan has sparked in Congress. But there&rsquo;s also concern in the local government arena that current grant programs could be cut to pay for new initiatives.</p>
<p>&ldquo;An infrastructure package should add to the already existing programs,&rdquo; Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor of Gary, Indiana, and NLC&rsquo;s first vice president, stressed on Monday.</p>
<p>Examples she pointed to included Community Development Block Grants and the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant program. The Trump administration has <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/02/wh-budget-draft/145912/" target="_blank">called for slashing</a> these programs in its budget proposals.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Personally, I think the existing programs have been working well,&rdquo; Mayor Wade Troxell, of Fort Collins, Colorado, told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;All of them still involve cost-sharing, partnerships.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Irma Esparza Diggs, senior executive and director of federal advocacy for the League of Cities, said the group isn&rsquo;t against the sorts of grant initiatives the White House proposed, but it would be a &ldquo;nonstarter&rdquo; to pay for them by siphoning dollars from programs now in use.</p>
<p>Another point of friction is that the biggest grant program in the White House proposal, totaling $100 billion, would favor states and localities that can bring greater shares of non-federal money to the table, and would cap awards at 20 percent of new project revenue.</p>
<p>Freeman-Wilson noted that cities across the U.S. have populations ranging from under 5,000 to over 250,000 and that the &ldquo;size of your city certainly determines your ability to pay for the infrastructure you need,&rdquo; but &ldquo;your ability to pay doesn&rsquo;t change the need.&rdquo;</p>
<p>NLC leaders also highlighted difficulties cities can have with state laws that preempt&nbsp;local governments&#39; powers to raise taxes and other revenues. Stodola said cities in 47 states run into preemption roadblocks when it comes to generating&nbsp;public works money.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Cities need to have the opportunity locally to help fund infrastructure,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>The city officials are visiting Washington&nbsp;after House Speaker Paul Ryan, last week, spoke out against raising the federal gas tax, <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/paul-ryan-house-trump-infrastructure/146532/">and said</a> Republicans would advance about a half-dozen infrastructure bills in the coming weeks and months&mdash;as opposed to one sweeping package.</p>
<p>Stodola pointed out that NLC supports raising the federal gas tax to help pay for infrastructure. Congress has not raised the tax in over two decades and it&rsquo;s not indexed to rise with inflation.</p>
<p>He also said that, when it comes to an infrastructure package, the National League of Cities would like to see &ldquo;a comprehensive plan, not a piecemeal plan,&rdquo; that addresses water, transportation and broadband internet infrastructure, as well as workforce development.</p>
<p>DJ Gribbin, special assistant to the president for infrastructure policy, told an audience at the National League of Cities event on Monday &ldquo;the administration is hopeful that we will be able to get infrastructure passed this year before the elections.&rdquo; (The elections are in November.)</p>
<p>Some lawmakers are less than bullish on this front.</p>
<p>Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/">said</a> earlier this month that time constraints could make it challenging to pass an infrastructure bill this year. But he didn&rsquo;t rule out the possibility of moving ahead with legislation.</p>
<p>In the near-term, Congress is working on belated spending legislation for fiscal year 2018 ahead of a March 23 deadline. The spending measure is set to include half of a <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/infrastructure-budget-deal-spending-caps/145805/?oref=rf-river" target="_blank">$20 billion infrastructure boost</a> that was part of a two-year budget deal reached last month.</p>
<p>Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told attendees&nbsp;at the NLC conference they shouldn&#39;t be timid when they meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>The Chamber has <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/01/chamber-commerce-25-cent-gas-tax-increase/145280/" target="_blank">voiced strong support</a> for a major infrastructure package and a 25-cent fuel tax hike to help pay for it.</p>
<p>&quot;When you go up there tomorrow, don&#39;t sit around and say &#39;please,&#39;&quot;&nbsp;Donohue said in his remarks. &quot;Don&#39;t take maybe.&quot;</p>
<p>Donohue conceded that &quot;this is a political year&quot; and&nbsp;&quot;we know Congress tends to get extra stubborn when elections are coming up.&quot; But he added:&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m optimistic we can get some of this done.&quot;</p>Bill LuciaMon, 12 Mar 2018 22:16:04 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/nlc-infrastructure/146606/InfrastructureA bridge under construction in North Carolina.shutterstockTax Reform Hurt Affordable Housing. This Bill Could Bring Some Back.http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/tax-reform-affordable-housing-bill/146608/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/affordable_housing/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Advocates of expanding affordable housing see hope in a Senate bill introduced last March that could give them a win after federal tax reform changed a low-income housing tax credit that will significantly reduce new construction in cities.</p>
<p>While Republican-backed reforms didn&rsquo;t wind up eliminating private activity bonds, which account for as much as 55 percent of all financing for low-income tax credit housing each year, they did implement chained consumer price indexing and lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.</p>
<p>Affordable housing investment and production already took a hit when Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election and tax reform became a top priority with Republicans in control of the White House and Congress, but those two changes represent 230,000 to 235,000 lost housing units.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a pretty decent wound to affordable housing,&rdquo; said Peter Lawrence, <a href="https://www.novoco.com/profile/peter-lawrence">Novogradac &amp; Company LLP</a> public policy director, speaking Monday at the <a href="https://www.nlc.org/">National League of Cities</a> conference in the nation&rsquo;s capital. &ldquo;Not as bad as it could&rsquo;ve been with the loss of private activity bonds.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Lawrence believes the bipartisan <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/548">Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act</a>, cosponsored by Sens. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, and Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, has a &ldquo;good chance&rdquo; of passing and helping to mend that wound.</p>
<p>By renaming the low-income income housing credit the &ldquo;affordable housing credit&rdquo; and increasing state allocations 50 percent, 225,000 new housing units could be constructed. The bill also proposes income averaging to determine tenant eligibility and establishing a minimum 4 percent credit rate for certain projects&mdash;potentially increasing the amount of capital in properties 20 percent to 25 percent and the number of housing units by 131,000 over 10 years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There is not enough money coming out of D.C. to make things happen,&rdquo; said Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner.</p>
<p>Kansas City has attempted to use municipal tools, like a sales tax exemption for developers building affordable units, to up its mixed-use inventory.</p>
<p>And NLC is partnering with law firm <a href="https://www.hklaw.com/">Holland and Knight</a> on the <a href="https://housinginvestment.org/">Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment</a> campaign looking to reinforce the federal government&rsquo;s role as an affordable housing partner.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We all know that current federal funding comes nowhere close to meeting the demand,&rdquo; said Eve O&rsquo;Toole, Holland and Knight local government group co-leader. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re seeing those costs shifted to local government.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Speaking to NLC later that day, <a href="https://www.hud.gov/">Housing and Urban Development</a> Secretary Ben Carson said he was pleased Congress preserved the tax status of interest generated by PABs&mdash;key to funding hospitals, affordable housing and infrastructure. He also expressed excitement in the creation of opportunity zones in the tax legislation.</p>
<p>Opportunity zones allow investors with capital gains to defer taxes on them for nine years, if they invest in a low-income housing community in the country. After that, they continue to hold the asset and all gains are tax free.</p>
<p>U.S. investors currently hold $6 trillion in unrealized capital gains, Lawrence said, and tapping into 1 percent of that amount would mean an extra $600 billion to work with.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a serious chunk of change,&rdquo; Lawrence said.</p>
<p>Community development entities will likely be the first players because they can pool capital from investors, who are being incentivized to have long-term investment in low-income communities.</p>
<p>Governors have until March 21 to designate opportunity zones, up to 25 percent of the economically distressed tracts in their state. They can request an extension, but barring that they&rsquo;ll have to wait another decade to redesignate because there&rsquo;s no appeals process.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Affordable housing stands to be a major recipient of this capital,&rdquo; Carson said. &ldquo;I am looking forward to seeing these investments in conjunction with the White House infrastructure plan so our cities, roads and bridges can come back stronger than ever before.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirMon, 12 Mar 2018 20:48:42 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/tax-reform-affordable-housing-bill/146608/FinanceShutterstockAxing State Corporate Taxes Is Good Policyhttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/axing-state-corporate-taxes-good-policy/146591/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/pittsburgh_skyscrapers/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The U.S. tax code has been significantly altered resulting in very significant reductions in taxes for corporations, including a reduction in the rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. It is estimated that tax savings will approach $1 trillion for corporations.</p>
<p>Importantly, these changes will also impact the corporation business tax, or CBT, that states levy as many state corporate tax codes either incorporate or reference many provisions of the federal tax code. I am not able to systematically identify all of the provisions that will affect either the CBT taxpayer or of each individual state&mdash;each will be impacted differently and consequentially.</p>
<p>Some changes to the U.S. tax code are obvious, including at least three major components that will impact state collection of taxes&mdash;(a) limitations on deductions and exclusions, (b) restructuring of international provisions and (c) changes to tax accounting rules. Each state will have other elements.</p>
<p>Depending on the type of corporation and how certain rules are interpreted corporations will either pay more taxes or in other instances save money, albeit in the aggregate one has to assume that states will collect less tax revenue. In any case the impact will be complex and there will be many legislative debates and initiatives to change current provisions of state tax codes to conform or adjust to the federal tax changes. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Corporations will argue for changes that favor them and of course the folks who worry about balancing the budget will worry about losing tax revenue. A <a href="http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-the-impact-of-federal-tax-reform-on-state-corporate-income-taxes/$File/ey-the-impact-of-federal-tax-reform-on-state-corporate-income-taxes.pdf">recent excellent report by Ernst and Young (E&amp;Y)</a> suggests the likely result is increased corporate taxes but it depends on how a state chooses to conform to the federal tax code.</p>
<p>The E&amp;Y report also contains extensive sections on the impact on the federal tax code on corporations, its impact on states, on various types of industry, and an itemization of specific provisions of the new law that affect the tax base.</p>
<p>Much has been written about the need to attract and retain businesses as states are in constant competition with each other usually to the detriment of one. A common practice in most states is to offer business tax incentives to either relocate or to retain a corporation that is &ldquo;thinking&rdquo; about or &ldquo;threatening&rdquo; to move for a better business climate. One could discuss the pros and cons of past efforts of individual states of offering these incentives but suffice to say the new federal changes will further exacerbate this issue.</p>
<p>Instead a better option: Take advantage of the situation and eliminate the current state corporation tax and replace it with a simpler tax&mdash;a gross receipt tax.</p>
<p><strong>The CBT Is Sadly Outdated</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://taxfoundation.org/state-corporate-income-tax-rates-brackets-2017/">Forty-four states have a corporate business tax</a>, ranging from a 4 percent in North Carolina to a high of 12 percent in Iowa. Most corporations pay the tax based on net income. However, the effective rate is much lower thanks to deductions and credits which minimize income and reduces the tax paid. On average the corporate tax is 5 percent of the total revenue base of the state. Furthermore, looking at historical trends the corporation tax in most states has been very static and had grown minimally as a share of state revenues as contrasted to the income and sales taxes.</p>
<p>The CBT was designed as a franchise tax for the &ldquo;the privilege of doing business&rdquo; in the state at a time when nearly all business of any size was conducted by corporations. The economic landscape has changed over time and now the CBT is sadly outdated.</p>
<p>Business enterprises can be of many forms and sizes and pay anywhere from <em>zero</em> dollars to millions. The specifics of corporation tax law are complicated regarding form and what state they are located. There are &ldquo;C&rdquo; corporations&mdash;usually the big boys&mdash;the Mercks and General Electrics of the world&mdash;subject to the highest rate. There are &ldquo;S&rdquo; corporations (e.g., the auto dealers and many small businesses)&mdash;usually paying a flat maximum CBT depending on the state.</p>
<p>But, many businesses, such as limited liability corporations and partnerships (e.g., professional services, accountants and lawyers) are neither C nor S corporations and avoid the CBT entirely, usually paying a maximum flat fee. In these cases, distributions made to owners are taxed under the individual gross income tax rules. The changes in the federal tax code will lead to many changes in this arena&mdash;again either positive or negative depending on the state and the payee.</p>
<p>The corporation tax has several problems with its structure. Specifically:</p>
<ul>
<li>The taxable value of the entity is measured by &ldquo;net income.&rdquo; While net income may be conceptually appealing as a measure of economic value, in the real world of separate entity accounting, pass-through entities, and extensive deductions, it does not adequately measure business activity. Net income is hardly an objective measure. As a result, it has extensive loopholes that allow the tax to be evaded or reduced for certain corporations.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The tax base has been shrinking for many years; businesses of all types and sizes are electing a non-corporate structure&mdash;taking advantage of limited liability and partnership forms&mdash;as a simple means of avoiding the tax.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Governors and state legislatures are frequently enacting legislation to lessen the impact on certain corporations by implementing a series of incentives. Some corporations receive these credits and deductions&mdash;others do not.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The tax is highly inefficient to administer by the state, and likewise for corporations to compute legal liability.</li>
</ul>
<p>The last two points are illustrative of taxation at its worse&mdash;it is neither equitable nor easy to enforce or collect. Currently, there is an army of state government tax examiners, auditors and lawyers trying to understand how each corporation is attempting to limit its payments; and a like army of corporate financial wizards trying to understand the extensive and very complicated tax codes and how they can limit their liability&mdash;each state will be different.</p>
<p><strong>A Solution</strong></p>
<p>The CBT is a &ldquo;broken tax&rdquo; that does not meet the needs of business or the state&mdash;and to adjust to the new federal tax code each state will have endless debates as to how they should conform to help one group or another. I suggest going back to square one and starting over&mdash;in short, the system cannot be &ldquo;fixed.&rdquo; It should be replaced with a much simpler business tax that has low compliance and administration costs; is not dependent on corporate form; and raises revenue from the broadest number of entities conducting business in each state.</p>
<p>I would argue for a true &ldquo;franchise&rdquo; tax on all business entities with the activity measured not by net income but by gross profits (receipts less deductions for cost of goods sold and normal employment costs). No credits, no other deductions for expenses, no loopholes&mdash;just a simple computation based upon an acceptable, recognizable and logical base.</p>
<p>Such an entity tax could, for example, effectively exempt small businesses with gross profits under some level (e.g. $500,000) and instead subject them to a small minimum fee. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Businesses with higher levels of gross profits would pay specific amounts ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 or more dependent upon the gross profits of the entity. There is a wide range of fee or rate schedules that can be designed to generate as much as the current CBT generates&mdash;or more or less depending on the overall tax policy of each state.</p>
<p>As with any proposal that dramatically changes the base for taxation, some will oppose it. The tax will be called unfair because it imposes a tax on all businesses regardless of profitability, or hurts small businesses. Critics will argue &ldquo;pass-through entities&rdquo; should not be taxed since the state captures that income at the individual shareholder level, but these entities already face an entity tax in some form. The real question&mdash;is there an easier and more equitable way to tax business?</p>
<p>These and other arguments could go on and on, and frankly are examples of why the present system is so complicated and why states are constantly legislating deductions and credits and other loopholes for certain corporations.</p>
<p>The goal of tax policy should be to treat all businesses, regardless of form, fairly. The current tax policy is riddled with loopholes and easy to manipulate, and allows businesses that are not incorporated to avoid entity-level tax altogether. A reliance on net income to measure profitability or activity while theoretically attractive to the purist is fatally flawed in practical application.</p>
<p>In my opinion the conclusion is clear&mdash;in most states the corporate income tax is broken and should be eliminated and replaced with a simple low tax on all business activity regardless of corporate form, levied on a logical and recognizable base not subject to easy manipulation.&nbsp;Unlike the CBT based on net income, the tax does not penalize profitability or distort business decisions. That&rsquo;s truly business friendly.</p>Richard F. Keevey, Special to Route FiftyMon, 12 Mar 2018 14:21:47 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/axing-state-corporate-taxes-good-policy/146591/FinanceShutterstockThe President of Everywhere, USAhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/mayor_pete_buttigieg/medium.jpg"
alt="South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg"
title="South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas &mdash; South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg believes Washington&rsquo;s political class has it backwards.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the tradition for . . . political observers in Washington has been to look at state government as kind of the bush league or the junior league and then eventually you move to so-called higher office and you get to work on federal issues,&rdquo; Buttigieg told <em>Route Fifty </em>during SXSW this week. &ldquo;Right now I think the reverse is true. I think so many of the most interesting and compelling solutions are coming from outside of Washington.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Recently, <em>Politico</em> magazine published a long-form piece on the rising Democratic star that carefully outlined his experience as mayor of South Bend. The headline, however,<em> &ldquo;</em><a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/16/pete-buttigieg-president-2020-profile-feature-217001">The President of Nowhere, USA</a><em>,&rdquo; </em>with an correspondingly desolate background of Buttigieg standing alone in the snow, may have portrayed something else.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It may look like &lsquo;Nowhere USA&rsquo; to a headline writer at <em>Politico</em> but to us it&rsquo;s not only home but it&rsquo;s the cutting edge and this is where we are on the ground dealing with issues that are considered national issues,&rdquo; Buttigieg said when <em>Route Fifty</em> asked him&nbsp;about the headline. &ldquo;From police use of force and relationships with minority communities and police to climate change, which we are on the business end of right now as a city that just experienced major flooding.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Buttigieg said the city leaders he was convening with at SXSW&rsquo;s mayor summit, Civic I/O, were required to wrestle with these issues in a way federal elected officials did not. And, from his perspective it&#39;s a dynamic that is not static.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re going to see more and more of the action, the energy, the dynamism and the talent being found at the local level&mdash;and it&rsquo;s going to be the state and national government trying to catch up,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p><strong>Watch the full interview or check out our key takeaways below.</strong></p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-youtube"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="embedded" data-embed-src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fbCfd-6BPaE?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fbCfd-6BPaE?wmode=transparent"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>Why he&rsquo;s passionate about studying automation:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Automation means you go through jobs or even careers far more quickly in our generation than in our parents or grandparents generation. These are deep questions that are going to change the faces of our cities and it&rsquo;s almost like all the shocks that my part of the country, the industrial Midwest, it&rsquo;s almost like what we went through in the 90s, except this time we see it coming, so there&rsquo;s no excuse not to prepare for it.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>What he&rsquo;s taking into account with smart city solutions:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;You have so many of these things that are around the corner. One of our speakers were talking about automated smart street lamps and we&rsquo;re actually not that far out from that, and that has some profound implications on everything from energy efficiency and climate change to questions about surveillance. [&hellip;]</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s so many things that are changing right now or would be foolish not to think they are going to change. We don&rsquo;t have to predict all that future but we do need to make sure we&rsquo;re designing our cities in a way that&rsquo;s robust and resilient for the changes to come.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>The exchange of ideas with other mayors:</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;By definition, when you&rsquo;re a mayor you&rsquo;re the only one in your city at any given moment. And so being able to come to a community of mayors is really important. You compare notes, you find out where you&rsquo;re ahead and where you&rsquo;re behind, you get a sense of solidarity. We&rsquo;re also people, so it&rsquo;s not just a professional relationship you also just make friends with people who are doing the same kind of things that you do, and there&rsquo;s a great kind of social network and social culture developing, which I think is going to become more and more important given that our national and state politics are so challenged, to have that national&mdash;even global community of mayors coming together to solve problems and help each other through these challenges.&quot;</p>
<p><strong>How to create a healthy city when health is not part of your job description:</strong></p>
<p>&quot;How you do bikeability, where you put a road, where a trail goes, how you set up your parks and what kind of streetlights you have. Those are my decisions, but if I think about the way it might affect the way people walk or run, or don&rsquo;t, in our city&mdash;it turns out those are public health decisions, too, and I owe it to the community to have that public health hat on, even if I don&rsquo;t have a public health department to my name as part of the city administration.&quot;</p>
<p><strong>ALSO from <em>Route Fifty</em>&rsquo;s coverage from SXSW 2018:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/">To Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Look to the Sewers</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">Civic I/O Tech Pitch: The Winners and Finalists</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/">Cities Join the Branding Bonanza</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/">For Cities, Creativity and Convergence Need to Be the Norm</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/">The Mayor&rsquo;s Life at SXSW</a></strong></li>
</ul>Mitch HerckisMon, 12 Mar 2018 14:19:49 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/ManagementSouth Bend Mayor Pete ButtigiegOffice of Mayor Pete Buttigieg / FacebookRecent Data Breaches Spark Debate Over 'Reasonable' Notification Ruleshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/data-breaches-debate-over-reasonable-notification-rules/146588/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/uber_data_breach/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/12/recent-data-breaches-spark-debate-over-reasonable-notification-rules">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Jenni Bergal.</em></p>
<p>When Pennsylvania sued Uber last week for waiting more than a year to alert drivers and customers that their personal information had been hacked, the state&rsquo;s attorney general argued that the ride-hailing company had violated a state law mandating that companies notify people affected by a data breach &ldquo;without unreasonable delay.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Uber hid the incident for over a year, and actually paid the hackers to delete the data and stay quiet,&rdquo; Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.</p>
<p>The Pennsylvania lawsuit against Uber and others filed by Los Angeles and Chicago are drawing attention to the vague language in many state laws that defines how quickly consumers must be notified once a data breach is discovered. Pennsylvania&rsquo;s phrase &ldquo;without unreasonable delay&rdquo; is typical of many states, as is &ldquo;in the most expedient time possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The problem is that state legislators, consumers and company officials have different ideas of what is &ldquo;unreasonable.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;This kind of language is too loose and subjective,&rdquo; said Colorado Republican state Rep. Cole Wist, who is cosponsoring a bipartisan measure that would&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb18-1128">require that consumers be notified of a breach within 30 days</a>&nbsp;if there is sufficient evidence personal information has been or is likely to be misused. Residents also would have to be given the date of the breach and a description of what was accessed.</p>
<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Reasonable&rsquo; time is not good enough,&rdquo; said Wist, who has been an identity theft victim. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of harm that can be done in a short amount of time. The burden is now on consumers to right the ship. Once their data is compromised it can create years of heartache.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Wist and legislators in a number of other states are trying to beef up consumer protections by clearly defining how quickly residents must be notified of a data breach and broadening the category of &ldquo;personal information&rdquo; covered under such laws. Some also seek to bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze their credit information.</p>
<p>But some industry groups are wary.</p>
<p>Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, said in an email that setting a fixed number of days for notification can be a problem because law enforcement and cyber experts might need to work quietly behind the scenes to catch hackers without tipping them off.</p>
<p>And Eric J. Ellman, a senior vice president at the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group representing consumer reporting agencies, said it can be difficult for companies to comply with a &ldquo;forced, narrow timetable&rdquo; to notify consumers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;By tightening the screws so heavily in security breach bills,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;you have often tipped the scales to create a hammer with which to whack companies that didn&rsquo;t meet a tight timetable, rather than focus on getting consumers the information in the right time.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said the Pennsylvania lawsuit caught him by surprise. The data breach compromised the names, email addresses and cellphone numbers of 57 million Uber riders around the world, as well as the driver&rsquo;s license numbers of about 600,000 drivers nationwide.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We make no excuses for the previous failure to disclose the data breach,&rdquo; West said in a statement. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been up front about the fact that Uber expects to be held accountable; our only ask is that Uber be treated fairly and that any penalty reasonably fit the facts.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Prompted by Equifax Breach</p>
<p>Most of the legislation has been prompted by last year&rsquo;s huge&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/11/10/worried-about-hackers-states-turn-to-cyber-insurance">Equifax breach</a>, which exposed the personal data of nearly 148 million Americans.</p>
<p>It took Equifax six weeks to reveal the breach, and it has twice revised upward its estimate of the number of people affected, most recently last week.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There is great frustration in the aftermath of the Equifax breach, and that frustration is extending to data breaches in general,&rdquo; said Paul Stephens, policy director for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego-based nonprofit consumer advocacy group. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that really has gotten a lot of state legislators very upset. They are consumers, too, and they&rsquo;ve been impacted as well as the people they represent.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Last year, there were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idtheftcenter.org/2017-data-breaches">a record 1,579 data breaches</a>&nbsp;in the United States, a nearly 45 percent hike over the previous year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity theft and promotes public awareness.</p>
<p>Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have security breach notification laws, and most apply to the private sector and the government. But the laws vary considerably, from when affected victims must be notified to what is considered personal information.</p>
<p>Some states also bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze or unfreeze their credit reports. But most allow it unless the consumer is an identity theft victim. A credit freeze lets people limit who can see their credit information, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name. Credit agencies typically charge $5 or $10 each time consumers place or lift a freeze.</p>
<p>This year, at least 29 states are taking up consumer security breach notification bills, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In more than a dozen states, measures would require residents to be notified within a given time, from 48 hours up to 60 days. Many of the bills also say that notification can be delayed if law enforcement determines it will interfere with a criminal investigation.</p>
<p>States Take Action</p>
<p>Some states have already moved to toughen their data breach laws.</p>
<p>In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill two weeks ago that would prevent credit reporting agencies from charging fees for freezing and unfreezing credit reports. Legislators in Florida and Washington state also have approved no-fee freeze bills, which are headed to the governors&rsquo; desks.</p>
<p>In Oregon, a bill has been sent to the governor that would allow no-fee freezing and require that residents be notified within 45 days.</p>
<p>In Colorado, a House committee passed Wist&rsquo;s breach notification bill last month and it has moved to another committee. As with many of the bills being considered across the country, the measure also would expand the definition of personal information to include passwords, medical information and data from biometrics such as facial recognition and fingerprints.</p>
<p>In North Carolina, Attorney General Josh Stein said he and state Rep. Jason Saine, a Republican, are working on a bill that would require data breach notification within 15 days and make credit freezes free for everyone.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The Equifax breach affected 2 out of 3 adults in North Carolina last year,&rdquo; Stein said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s an outrageous impact on the lives of people. And the thieves don&rsquo;t have to act today. They can simply bank the information and in the future, start making people&rsquo;s lives hell.&rdquo;</p>
<p>South Dakota and Alabama are the only states that don&rsquo;t have data breach notification laws, but that, too, could be changing.</p>
<p>A South Dakota bill is headed to the governor that would require residents to be notified within 60 days.</p>
<p>And the Alabama Senate passed legislation this month that would require notification within 45 days. The measure is now in a House committee.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The hackers are getting more clever, and we can&rsquo;t sit back on our heels,&rdquo; Colorado&rsquo;s Wist said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s important that we, as legislators, take the initiative.&rdquo;</p>Jenni Bergal, The Pew Charitable TrustsMon, 12 Mar 2018 13:19:46 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/data-breaches-debate-over-reasonable-notification-rules/146588/Tech & DataShutterstockA New Way Drone Hobbyists Are Endangering First Respondershttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/drone-wildfire-arizona/146580/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/firefighting_helicopter/medium.jpg"
alt="An Erickson Air-Crane helicopter flies between flames of the La Tuna Fire in Los Angeles in September 2017."
title="An Erickson Air-Crane helicopter flies between flames of the La Tuna Fire in Los Angeles in September 2017."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Unmanned aerial vehicles have many <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-346-fighting-wildfires-with-technology-pizzagate-returns-impeach-o-meter-game-of-thrones-and-more-1.4203979/fighting-forest-fires-with-technology-how-drones-and-infrared-cameras-could-be-game-changers-1.4204045">practical applications for agencies</a> fighting fires, including giving first responders on the ground a better view of what&rsquo;s happening from above. That vantage point <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2017/12/13/eye-sky-military-reaper-drone-shooting-real-time-video-over-thomas-fire/945525001/">can provide valuable intelligence</a> to agencies trying to figure out how to best fight a blaze and help keep personnel safe in the process.</p>
<p>Drone aircraft in the hands of hobbyists, on the other hand, can be a different story. As the devices have become more popular and sophisticated in recent years, federal, state and local agencies have made numerous appeals to the drone-flying public not fly their aircraft in the vicinity of wildfires or firefighting operations.</p>
<p>Capturing footage of a major blaze may result in stunning imagery, but drones pose a very real and serious danger to firefighting aircraft, oftentimes resulting in agencies temporarily grounding their aerial response.</p>
<p>Last year during the Wine Country fires in Northern California, firefighting agencies reported encountering numerous unmanned aerial vehicles. The California Highway Patrol <a href="https://www.facebook.com/santarosachp/photos/a.420770458052201.1073741833.393701014092479/1345244585604779/">arrested one such hobbyist in Petaluma</a> for flying a drone near a local airport used as a base for CalFire helicopters, which prompted operations to be grounded.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/16/firefighters-say-drones-interfered-with-their-work-one-pilot-arrested/">As <em>The Mercury News</em> reported at the time</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The helicopters being flown out of Petaluma have been an integral part of the firefighting operations in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties. &ldquo;The drone,&rdquo; said police, &ldquo;was not only potentially perilous for the helicopters landing at and leaving the airport&rdquo; but &ldquo;it also held up the operation, endangering lives and further fire damage to an already fire ravaged area.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>During a fire in Arizona last year, the Yavapai County Sheriff&#39;s Office <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/02/arrest-made-drone-flights-over-arizona-wildfire/446391001/">arrested a Prescott Valley man</a> spotted flying a drone in an area where 14 aircraft and aircrews were operating during a wildfire response.</p>
<p>If those situations weren&rsquo;t hazardous enough, there&rsquo;s now a case of a drone aircraft actually causing a wildfire.</p>
<p>Last week in Northern Arizona, <a href="http://fireaviation.com/?sfw=pass1520829285">a battery-powered drone sparked a 335-acre blaze</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;catching fire upon landing in the Coconino National Forest north of Flagstaff, according to <em>Fire Aviation</em>.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the blaze was <a href="http://azdailysun.com/news/local/now-contained-kendrick-park-area-wildfire-caused-by-drone-crash/article_7b3ae848-53cf-5487-a439-3869c8bae174.html">contained by 30 firefighters who responded</a>, according to the <em>Arizona Daily Sun</em>. But it was a reminder that it only takes a spark to lead to a potentially destructive and deadly wildfire.</p>Michael GrassMon, 12 Mar 2018 01:00:09 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/drone-wildfire-arizona/146580/Public SafetyAn Erickson Air-Crane helicopter flies between flames of the La Tuna Fire in Los Angeles in September 2017.ShutterstockMore Maine Municipalities Look to State’s ‘Food Sovereignty’ Lawhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/maine-municipalities-state-food-sovereignty-law/146581/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/12/mason_jars/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are some state and local government news stories that caught Route Fifty&rsquo;s attention ...</em></p>
<p><strong>STATE LEGISLATURES |</strong> More than 20 municipalities in <strong>Maine</strong> have adopted so-called &ldquo;<strong>food sovereignty</strong>&rdquo; <strong>ordinances that are permissible under a state law</strong> passed and adopted last year; at least 44 other local governments in the Pine Tree State have expressed an interest in pursuing similar rules. The state law gives municipalities &ldquo;<strong>the authority to regulate the direct, producer-to-consumer exchanges, food processing and distribution free from state regulatory control.</strong>&rdquo; Many local food producers <strong>want to be free of red tape</strong> when they&rsquo;re selling food for local home consumption or at community events, like church suppers. [<a href="https://bangordailynews.com/2018/03/10/homestead/food-sovereignty-continues-to-pick-up-steam-around-the-state/"><em>Bangor Daily News</em></a>]</p>
<p>The <strong>Florida</strong> state legislature approved a budget of &ldquo;<strong>nearly $89 billion for next year and ended the 2018 session two days late</strong>&rdquo; in an &ldquo;unusual&rdquo; Sunday afternoon session. The legislature on Friday approved <strong>prescription limits on opioid medication</strong> and increase funding for drug addiction treatment. [<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article204602969.html"><em>Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau</em></a>; <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2018/03/12/482946.htm"><em>Insurance Journal</em>]</a></p>
<p>Unless state lawmakers act, <strong>Alaska</strong> is on track to <strong>run out of money for the Medicaid health insurance program</strong>, which is jointly run by the state and federal government. [<a href="http://juneauempire.com/state/news/2018-03-09/state-officials-warn-medicaid-money-will-run-out-month-s-end"><em>Juneau Empire</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Tennessee House</strong> lawmakers are scheduled to consider a measure that could lead to the relocation of the remains of former <strong>President James K. Polk</strong> and his wife <strong>Sarah</strong> from the grounds of the <strong>Tennessee State Capitol</strong> to the<strong> Polk Home and Museum</strong> in <strong>Columbia</strong>. [<a href="http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/news/20180311/proposition-to-relocate-polk8217s-tomb-to-columbia-will-be-presented-on-house-floor"><em>Columbia Daily Herald</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |</strong> While <strong>Hurricane Harvey</strong> brought plenty of destruction to southeastern <strong>Texas</strong> last year, it also helped boost the economy in the <strong>Houston</strong> area, according to newly released data from the <strong>Texas Workforce Commission</strong>. Houston added 63,000 jobs in 2017. [<a href="https://www.chron.com/business/article/Hurricane-Harvey-gave-unexpected-boost-to-Houston-12741682.php"><em>Houston Chronicle</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James</strong> has not shed a tear after his city didn&rsquo;t make the cut of finalists to host <strong>Amazon.com, Inc.</strong>&rsquo;s second headquarters campus. &quot;<strong>It wasn&#39;t something I was worried about one way or the other</strong>,&quot; the mayor said during a recent panel discussion at <strong>SXSW</strong> in <strong>Austin, Texas</strong>. [<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/10/technology/kansas-city-mayor-sly-james-amazon-hq2/index.html"><em>CNN Money</em></a>]</p>
<p>While the <strong>Kilbourne Group</strong>, a real estate firm built by <strong>North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum</strong>, owns plenty of properties in downtown <strong>Fargo</strong>, the footprint may not be as big as some people think it is. &ldquo;<strong>There&rsquo;s this misconception he owns 50 percent of the downtown. I&rsquo;d be surprised if it&#39;s 10 percent</strong>,&rdquo; said <strong>Jim Gilmour</strong>, who leads the city&rsquo;s Planning Department. [<a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/a-growing-empire-but-gov-burgum-s-kilbourne-group-doesn/article_1119cf4a-cb48-58f1-bb08-204477295802.html"><em>The Bismarck Tribune</em></a>]</p>
<p>According to the <strong>Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development</strong>, the Last Frontier&rsquo;s population <strong>decreased by 8,900 people in 2017</strong>, the fifth year in a row where the state has seen net migration losses. According to the new statistics, the population of the <strong>Fairbanks North Star Borough</strong> fell by 1,216 people in 2017. [<a href="http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/population-declines-in-alaska-and-fairbanks-in/article_9cca11b0-2504-11e8-8dd9-4762d83c2d69.html"><em>Fairbanks Daily News Miner</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>INFRASTRUCTURE | </strong>Cost estimates continue to rise for <strong>California&rsquo;s high-speed rail line that&rsquo;s currently under construction and</strong> envisioned to eventually link <strong>Los Angeles</strong> with the <strong>San Francisco Bay Area</strong>. A business plan released on Friday shows that the project&rsquo;s cost has jumped to <strong>$77 billion</strong> and opening pushed back to 2033. Among the challenges: How to engineer a crossing of mountains that separate the <strong>San Jos&eacute;</strong> area from the <strong>Central Valley</strong>. [<a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/03/09/81496/it-s-going-to-be-bumpy-bullet-train-plan-to-show-h/"><em>KPCC / Southern California Public Radio</em></a>]</p>
<p>Public works officials in <strong>Memphis</strong> &ldquo;scrambled&rdquo; to contain <strong>a large sewage overflow</strong> at a local airport that started after <strong>electrical failures crippled pumps</strong> at the <strong>M.C. Stiles Wastewater Treatment Facility </strong>late last week. [<a href="https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2018/03/09/memphis-pump-sewage-into-mississippi-river/412350002/"><em>Clarion Ledger</em></a>]</p>
<p>Nine cities in <strong>Iowa</strong> are <strong>splitting $3 million in federal funding</strong> to help finance <strong>water and sewer upgrades</strong>. [<a href="https://www.radioiowa.com/2018/03/10/federal-funds-to-help-nine-cities-with-sewer-and-water-system-projects/"><em>Radio Iowa</em></a>]</p>
<p>A civic association president in <strong>Hamilton Beach</strong>, a low-lying neighborhood near <strong>JFK International Airport </strong>in <strong>Queens, New York</strong>, wants floodgates installed to block off two local inlets that allow the waters of <strong>Jamaica Bay</strong> to push into their community during coastal storms, like the recent nor&rsquo;easters that have battered the area. [<a href="http://queenstribune.com/hamilton-beach-residents-want-floodgates/"><em>Queens Tribune</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassSun, 11 Mar 2018 23:10:00 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/maine-municipalities-state-food-sovereignty-law/146581/ManagementShutterstockU.S. DOT Announces TIGER Grants Totaling Nearly $500 Millionhttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/tiger-grant-awards-2017/146578/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/11/usdot_hq/medium.jpg"
alt="The U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C."
title="The U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Nearly a half-billion dollars is set to flow to 41 infrastructure projects&nbsp;in 43 states&nbsp;through grant awards the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Friday.</p>
<p>The grants come via&nbsp;the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program, commonly referred to as TIGER. President Trump has proposed ending the competitive, Obama-era grant program <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/02/wh-budget-draft/145912/">in each of his last two budget requests</a>.</p>
<p>Even so, the White House touted last week&rsquo;s awards in an email to media outlets on Friday, linking them to the Trump administration&rsquo;s ongoing push for greater&nbsp;infrastructure investment.</p>
<p>Some of this year&#39;s larger-sized TIGER grants include: $25 million for <a href="https://mcsally.house.gov/sites/mcsally.house.gov/files/SR%20189%20Summary%20Page.pdf">road upgrades</a> in Nogales, Arizona, in the area where State Route 189 meets Interstate 19, near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing; $25 million for the Lincoln South Beltway, <a href="http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/nebraska-receives-million-grant-to-build-a-lincoln-south-beltway/article_36b76f41-52b9-5d8b-a88f-0e49deb5697d.html">a highway project</a> south of Lincoln, Nebraska; and $20 million for a port cargo facility at the former Sparrows Point steel mill site in Baltimore County, Maryland.</p>
<p>(A full list of this year&rsquo;s TIGER grants can be found <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/policy-initiatives/tiger/306331/t9-fact-sheets_0.pdf">here</a>.)</p>
<p>The latest TIGER awards are part of the fiscal year 2017 federal budget cycle. Congress is currently in the process of belatedly hashing out long-term spending legislation for fiscal 2018, which began last Oct. 1&mdash;stopgap measures have been in place since then.</p>
<p>A two-year budget deal lawmakers are working under to fund specific programs includes a <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/infrastructure-budget-deal-spending-caps/145805/">$20 billion boost</a> for infrastructure spending.</p>
<p>Senate appropriators <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2017/07/budget-appropriations-transportation-hud-cdbg-tiger/139773/">passed legislation</a> last year for fiscal 2018 that would raise TIGER funding to $550 million, from $500 million.</p>
<p>In contrast, legislation the full House approved would <a href="https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20171114_R45022_bc54704c3cc1a68ef410efe2e357e560f8791652.pdf">eliminate money for TIGER</a>.</p>
<p>But the two chambers in recent years have taken up similar positions only to have the grants funded in the end.</p>
<p>And the program tends to enjoy a degree of bipartisan support.</p>
<p>Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees transportation, housing and urban development, last week <a href="https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/diaz-balart-rubio-applaud-13-million-tiger-grant-for-immokalee">applauded</a> a $13 million grant for street, sidewalk, and drainage improvements and a new transit center in Immokalee, a community&nbsp;<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article173202081.html">hit hard by Hurricane Irma</a>&nbsp;in <a href="https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/our-district" target="_blank">his district</a>.</p>
<p>Likewise, Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, <a href="https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-announces-8-million-in-federal-funding-to-update-downtown-akron" target="_blank">highlighted</a> an $8 million award that would help pay for a promenade project in Akron.</p>
<p>At a gathering of county officials in Washington, D.C. about a week ago, Anthony Bedell, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs with U.S. DOT, touched on the TIGER program.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t imagine that the Congress won&rsquo;t have another line item for TIGER,&rdquo; he said at one point.</p>
<p>Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement the grants would help &ldquo;increase safety, create jobs and modernize our country&rsquo;s infrastructure.&rdquo; The White House, meanwhile, featured the grant awards Friday in an email to press under a section titled: &ldquo;Building a Stronger America | President Trump&rsquo;s Infrastructure Initiative.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Last month, the president sent an infrastructure proposal to Congress that calls for $200 billion of spending, mostly on new grant programs. One-quarter of the funding in Trump&rsquo;s public works proposal would go toward a program to support infrastructure in rural areas.</p>
<p>The Transportation Department in its TIGER announcement said over 64 percent of this round of grants would target rural projects, and called this &ldquo;a historic number that demonstrates this Administration&rsquo;s commitment to supporting the country&rsquo;s rural communities.&rdquo;</p>
<p>TIGER grants were created as part of Great Recession-era stimulus legislation. About $5.6 billion has been awarded through the program since its launch in&nbsp;2009. Demand far outpaces the money available.</p>
<p>Robert Mariner, deputy director in the Office of Infrastructure Finance and Innovation, at the U.S. Department of Transportation, said at the county event where Bedell spoke that, since 2009, the Transportation Department had evaluated over 7,700 TIGER applications.</p>
<p>Each year, he said, the department typically awards grants to about 37 to 45 projects.</p>Bill LuciaSun, 11 Mar 2018 22:32:03 -0400http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/tiger-grant-awards-2017/146578/InfrastructureThe U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C.ShutterstockCalifornia's Solar Sector Is Cooling Off http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/california-solar-sector-cooling/146548/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/solar/medium.jpeg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>California&rsquo;s solar sector has been on fire. But after a building sprint that saw its share of solar rise from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/">0.5% of generation in 2010 to 10% last year</a>, the state may be taking a break following two new production records this month.</p>
<p>Solar served up an unprecedented 50% of the state&rsquo;s demand on a sunny day around 1pm PT on March 5. The next day, utility operators reported a second record for total generation from solar which produced 10,411 megawatts, beating out last year&rsquo;s record by 5%. The state is regularly&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/">shunting electricity</a>&nbsp;to Arizona and other states (sometimes paying them to do so) to avoid overloading its own power lines.</p>
<p>Greentech Media&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/california-sets-two-new-solar-records?utm_source=Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=GTMDaily#gs.efcji1o">reports</a>&nbsp;there&rsquo;s little prospect of big new purchases of solar, or other renewable energy sources for that matter, by utilities. With investor-owned utilities all well ahead of state targets of 25% renewables by 2020 (and more distributed generation coming online), no new renewable capacity was procured last year and no plans to contract more (although plenty is in the pipeline, and homes and businesses are still adding more). &ldquo;They&rsquo;re basically saying, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s too much going on; we don&rsquo;t know what to do, so we&rsquo;re not going to do anything for a while,&#39;&rdquo; Jan Smutny-Jones of the Independent Energy Producers Association told Greentech.</p>
<p>Things on the home front are slowing down as well, although for different reasons. The US residential rooftop solar market, after at least 16 consecutive years of growth, shrank slightly in 2017,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-06/tesla-losing-top-spot-in-solar-to-sunrun-as-musk-shifts-gears">reports Bloomberg</a>. The main reason was that Tesla, recent acquirer of SolarCity, cut its marketing spending to concentrate on profitability instead of growth, ceding the top spot to US residential solar installer Sunrun. But the residential industry is not going away, with an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seia.org/solar-industry-data">2,500 MW installed last year</a>, much of it in California. Analysts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seia.org/solar-industry-data">expect</a>&nbsp;expansion to continue in emerging markets Utah, Texas, South Carolina and Florida.</p>
<p>One thing could tip California&rsquo;s solar market back into a furious growth period: a new target. With the mandate to generate half the state&rsquo;s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 now easily within reach (renewables accounted for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/">27% of total generation last year)</a>, the California state Senate has&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/">proposed legislation</a>&nbsp;to require 100% of the state&rsquo;s power come from renewable sources by 2045.</p>Michael J. Coren, QuartzSat, 10 Mar 2018 09:00:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/california-solar-sector-cooling/146548/Management‘Evidence-Based’ Provisions Localities Are Backing in 2019 Appropriation Billshttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/local-evidence-based-provisions-appropriations/146558/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/appropriations/medium.jpeg"
alt="Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti."
title="Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The mayors of Los Angeles and Dallas joined eight localities backing &ldquo;evidence-based, results-driven&rdquo; provisions in the fiscal 2019 House and Senate Appropriations committees bills.</p>
<p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://results4america.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FY19-coalition-letter-3.8.18-2.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;sent to Congress on Thursday, the 150 members of the bipartisan <a href="https://results4america.org/partners/">Invest in What Works Coalition</a> of current and former public officials, nonprofits and public policy school deans advocated for everything from $10 million for a state and local workforce data quality initiative to language encouraging evidence-based interventions in school improvement plans.</p>
<p>Local governments want to see the federal government rely increasingly on data to determine where its limited funds are invested at the lower levels.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our nation continues to face severe budget constraints at all levels of government as well as enormous social and economic shifts,&rdquo; reads the letter. &ldquo;These factors, combined with an increasingly globally competitive workforce, require us to invest taxpayer dollars in the most effective and efficient manner possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Other provisions supported include $88 million to improve employment outcomes for the incarcerated under the Department of Labor and $400 million to expand the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program in states under the&nbsp;Health and Human Services Department.</p>
<p>The coalition also wants to see the Department of Education spend $180 million on the Education Innovation and Research program in states and localities and both the departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development to allow participation with other federal agencies in public-private partnerships.</p>
<p>Montgomery County, Maryland Executive Isiah Leggett; Chula Vista, California; Dallas; Gilbert, Arizona; Milwaukee; Providence, Rhode Island; South Bend, Indiana; Tyler, Texas; King County, Washington; and the Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky also signed the letter.</p>
<p>A complete list of provisions can be found <a href="https://results4america.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FY19-coalition-letter-3.8.18-2.pdf">here</a>.</p>Dave NyczepirFri, 09 Mar 2018 15:21:24 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/local-evidence-based-provisions-appropriations/146558/ManagementLos Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.Denis Poroy / AP PhotoFor Cities, Creativity and Convergence Need to Be the Normhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/austin_congress_street/medium.jpg"
alt="Congress Avenue in Austin"
title="Congress Avenue in Austin"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Thousands of people are descending on Austin right now for SXSW, many of whom are hoping to leave with the next best idea and all of whom are expecting to leave inspired. That includes 30 forward-thinking mayors who are participating in the Mayors Summit and <a href="https://www.civicio.com/">Civic I/O</a>. As always, SXSW this year is an excellent illustration of the power of breaking down conventional boundaries, and how creative, collaborative thinking can help to solve tough problems.</p>
<p>SXSW calls this <em>convergence.</em></p>
<p>Our time as the mayors of Philadelphia and Albuquerque&mdash;and our time as advisors to <a href="http://www.the-atlas.com">The Atlas</a> and <a href="https://whatworkscities.bloomberg.org/cities/">What Works Cities</a> since leaving office&mdash;have convinced us that convergence cannot live only at events like SXSW. As local government leaders, it is our duty to deliver the very best solutions to our communities. Which means it&rsquo;s on us to breakdown silos, look to our peers for guidance, and ask our partners from every sector for new ideas&mdash;every time it could be beneficial, not just when it&rsquo;s convenient. It&rsquo;s our job to make SXSW live on all year long. Here&rsquo;s why.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_need_for_cross_sector_collaboration">benefits of cross-sector collaboration</a> are well proven. Many cities across the country have already embraced this idea of convergence to great success. Take, for example, the one-hundred&nbsp;<a href="https://whatworkscities.bloomberg.org/cities/">What Works Cities</a> that have embraced ideas from non-profits and companies to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-atlas.com/project/index/319">data-driven decision making</a>&mdash;a tactic used for decades in the private sector to great success.</p>
<p>Cities today are expected to do more with less. Cities of every size, regardless of financial circumstances, are on the front lines of nearly every major issue&mdash;including issues like the opioid crisis, homelessness, reentry, infrastructure, immigration and education. They&rsquo;re expected to tackle these challenges without new, big, or additional money coming out of Washington, D.C., without wrecking annual budgets, and without raising taxes or rates.</p>
<p>To successfully address these looming challenges in such complicated financial circumstances, cities require the best and the brightest: the best talent, the best ideas, the best technologies, the best processes. Cities must look both to each other, and outside of government&mdash;to the private sector, universities and NGOs&mdash;to source the best and brightest.</p>
<p>While in office, one way we both ensured our cities had access to the best and brightest was by creating cultures of open-mindedness and transparency. By empowering and incentivizing our teams to try new things, pursue different ideas and work with new partners, we were able to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_j_berry_a_practical_way_to_help_the_homeless_find_work_and_safety/transcript">lower unsheltered homelessness in Albuquerque by 80 percent</a> and reduce Philadelphia&rsquo;s municipal energy use by 7 percent setting the city on a path to&nbsp;<a href="http://planphilly.com/articles/2017/01/18/philly-joining-private-led-initiative-to-reduce-commercial-building-energy-use-50-by-2030">save citizens and local businesses millions of dollars</a>. By encouraging our teams to talk about our successes, and be honest about our occasional failures, we helped our colleagues in other cities learn from our experiences and leapfrog to new solutions.</p>
<p>And we&rsquo;re clearly not alone. There are lots of examples of cities that are getting creative and leveraging the experiences of other sectors to deliver more value to their communities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Local governments like San Francisco and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.govtech.com/computing/How-the-Cloud-is-Changing-Everything-for-Government-IT.html">Alachua County, Florida</a>, learned from their colleagues in the private sector to embrace&nbsp;<a href="http://americancityandcounty.com/blog/local-government-cloud-adoption-time-make-your-move">cloud computing</a>, which resulted in not only reduced costs but increased ability to access important emergency management data in real time from cell phones.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Simple process improvements like online form submission and payment (something that we&rsquo;ve expected in our daily lives for years!) have been implemented with a lot of buzz in cities like <a href="http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/gov-pittsburgh-building-inspection.html">Pittsburgh</a>. Similarly, modernizing their building permitting system has helped Pittsburgh go from hundreds to thousands of inspections each year, supporting economic growth.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cities like Kirkland, Washington used cooperative procurement to learn from their peers, create savings and reduce acquisition time. Similarly, other governments are adopting eProcurement&mdash;a technology solution used ubiquitously by large companies but used by only&nbsp;<a href="http://americancityandcounty.com/procurement-professional/infographic-plotting-public-procurements-progression">39 percent of local government agencies</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>And those are just some examples we&rsquo;ve been thinking about lately. When you look at the pace of innovation, there are clearly many more solutions proven in other sectors that have not yet fully translated to government: there are <a href="https://www.the-atlas.com/project?id=326">wastewater to energy technologies</a> deployed at scale in the agricultural sector that have the potential to save a city from having to build another treatment plant. There are voice-controlled systems like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.govtech.com/7-State-or-Local-Governments-Using-Amazon-Alexa.html">Amazon&rsquo;s Alexa</a> that are being tested to see if they can make it easier for citizens to engage with their governments.</p>
<p>Of course, it won&rsquo;t be easy for SXSW to live on all year long in our nation&rsquo;s local governments. Sourcing new solutions and new partners takes a tremendous amount of staff time and capacity, both of which local governments are in constant short supply.</p>
<p>Tailoring solutions proven in other sectors so that they will work for a different community and their local challenges can be a serious undertaking; just because something worked somewhere else does not mean it will work in another community with another set of local challenges. And regulations can be a serious barrier to doing things differently, even if the current way of doing things isn&rsquo;t working for citizens.</p>
<p>These are all legitimate issues, and we&rsquo;re certainly not suggesting that cities should always seek to do things differently or to do things differently just for the sake of trying something new. Sayings like &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t fix it if it ain&rsquo;t broke,&rdquo; &ldquo;leave well enough alone,&rdquo; and &ldquo;never change a running system&rdquo; all doubly apply to local government, where the stakes are extremely high. Unfortunately, there are many instances where things <em>are </em>broken, where things are <em>not </em>well enough and where systems are arguably<em> not </em>running.</p>
<p>These are the instances in which it may be beneficial for cities to look outside of themselves&mdash;to universities, NGOs and the private sector&mdash;to source new solutions.</p>
<p>The good news is that sourcing the best ideas and solutions, from both inside and outside government, is becoming easier with cross-sector events like SXSW and new platforms like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-atlas.com/">The Atlas</a>, that leverages its online community to help cities accelerate the replication of proven solutions.</p>
<p>Cities will be at the forefront of solving the world&rsquo;s greatest challenges. That is why we&rsquo;re calling on all of the folks at SXSW, and everyone living in cities across the country: Let&rsquo;s keep SXSW going all year long.</p>
<p>The results are bound to be good, and we&rsquo;ll have a<a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/artists/alpha/A"> pretty good soundtrack too</a>.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO from <em>Route Fifty</em>&rsquo;s coverage from SXSW 2018:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/">To Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Look to the Sewers</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">Civic I/O Tech Pitch: The Winners and Finalists</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/">Cities Join the Branding Bonanza</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/">The President of Everywhere, USA</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/">The Mayor&rsquo;s Life at SXSW</a></strong></li>
</ul>Richard J. Berry and Michael A. Nutter, Special to Route FiftyFri, 09 Mar 2018 12:34:17 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/Tech & DataCongress Avenue in AustinShutterstockAid-in-Dying Gains Momentum as Erstwhile Opponents Change Their Mindshttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/aid-dying-gains-momentum-erstwhile-opponents-change-their-minds/146546/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/new_jersey_state_house_exterior/medium.jpg"
alt="The New Jersey State House in Trenton. "
title="The New Jersey State House in Trenton. "
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/09/aid-in-dying-gains-momentum-as-erstwhile-opponents-change-their-minds">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts an was written by Michael Ollove</em></p>
<p>Susan Boyce, married and the mother of four, doesn&rsquo;t know when she will die, but she knows how. One day, her diseased-decimated lungs will no longer be able to pump oxygen through her bloodstream.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What happens with us is that we can&rsquo;t get enough oxygen,&rdquo;&nbsp;said Boyce, 54, of Rumson, New Jersey, who must take oxygen through a machine most of the day in order to breathe.&nbsp;&ldquo;We die by suffocation. I don&rsquo;t want to die by suffocation. It&rsquo;s a slow, awful death.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Which is why Boyce, whose condition causes her immune system to destroy healthy lung tissue,&nbsp;wants New Jersey&nbsp;to join&nbsp;the&nbsp;handful of states that allow physicians to prescribe lethal medications to dying patients.</p>
<p>New Jersey is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.compassionandchoices.org/near-you/">at least 25 states considering aid-in-dying bills this year</a>&nbsp;according to the Denver-based advocacy group Compassion and Choices, and advocates think momentum is on their side.</p>
<p>Support for aid-in-dying is increasing&mdash;a recent Gallup poll found two-thirds in favor, up from half four years earlier. Major medical groups have dropped or softened their opposition. And increasing life spans, while generally a positive development, mean that more Americans are watching their parents die drawn-out, agonizing deaths.</p>
<p>Oregon voters legalized aid-in-dying&mdash;sometimes referred to as &ldquo;death-with-dignity&rdquo; or &ldquo;assisted suicide&rdquo; &mdash; by approving a ballot measure in 1994 (a court injunction delayed implementation until 1997). Washington state voters followed suit in 2008 (it took effect in 2009), and a court ruling made it legal in Montana in 2009. Since 2013, Colorado, California, Vermont and the District of Columbia have legalized it, either through ballot initiative or legislation.</p>
<p>Advocates are particularly optimistic about a breakthrough in Hawaii where just this week the House sent an aid-in-dying bill to the state Senate on a 39-12 vote. They also expect success in New Jersey and perhaps in New York and Massachusetts as well, thanks to recent changes in the composition of the legislatures and, in the case of New Jersey, the governor&rsquo;s office.</p>
<p>David Grube, an Oregon doctor in palliative care, which works to ease both physical and psychological pain of seriously ill or injured patients, once opposed aid-in-dying. But he said that as more states have legalized aid-in-dying and no evidence has emerged that patients are being pressured into the process, more people are becoming comfortable with the idea.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like same-sex marriage,&rdquo; said Grube, who is the medical director of Compassion and Choices. &ldquo;Forty or 50 years ago, I didn&rsquo;t even know what a homosexual was. Now I see people in loving relationships, and that&rsquo;s great.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Even some critics of aid-in-dying acknowledge the momentum.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Many of my colleagues have softened,&rdquo; said Ira Byock, a Torrance, California, palliative care doctor who is chief medical officer for the Institute for Human Caring. The institute provides medical, spiritual and emotional support to seriously ill patients and their families as part of the Providence St. Joseph Health system.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/09/Aid_in_Dying_Map.png" />
<figcaption>(via The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Medical Groups Differ</strong></p>
<p>Advocates point to several encouraging developments. The powerful American Medical Association remains firmly against aid-in-dying. &ldquo;Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician&rsquo;s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks,&rdquo; the group says. Yet, 10 of its state chapters have dropped their opposition. For example, the Massachusetts Medical Society in December changed its position from opposed to neutral.</p>
<p>At the end of 2016, an online survey of 7,500 physicians from 27 specialties by Medscape, a news site on medicine, found that 57 percent were in favor of aid-in-dying.</p>
<p>Officially, organizations such as the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization maintain their opposition to aid-in-dying measures. But many individual practitioners have become more comfortable with the idea.</p>
<p>Many supporters credit as a turning point the extensive media coverage of the 2014 death of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, who had an aggressive form of brain cancer and who promoted aid-in-dying before taking lethal medications prescribed by her doctor in Oregon.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I really did believe that good palliative care could address the needs of people who were dying,&rdquo; said Ann Jackson, the CEO of the Oregon Hospice Association from 1988 to 2008. But Jackson came to change her mind.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The main thing I&rsquo;ve learned is that that is not true,&rdquo; said Jackson, who now consults on end-of-life issues. &ldquo;We may be able to address pain and symptoms, but we cannot address the futility some people feel at the end of life, the suffering they feel over their loss of autonomy. Hospice care cannot allow people to control their lives if they are going to deny them the right to die at a time of their own choosing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Catholic Church remains firmly opposed to aid-in-dying, as do many organizations that represent people with disabilities.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Mistakes by health care professionals, widespread misinformation, coercion and abuse limit the opportunity for people with disabilities to make informed and independent decisions,&rdquo; the American Association of People with Disabilities says in its statement about aid-in-dying.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The legalization of assisted suicide devalues the lives of people with disabilities,&rdquo; the group says. It argues that some of the disabled could be coerced into agreeing to assisted suicide.</p>
<p>Even if there is institutional opposition, polling in 2014 by the public opinion company Purple Strategies has indicated majority support for aid-in-dying among Catholics and people with disabilities in Massachusetts and New Jersey.</p>
<p>One study of physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652799/">found no evidence</a>&nbsp;that the practice was used more frequently on people with disabilities or those in other &ldquo;vulnerable&rdquo; groups, such as the poor and racial and ethnic minorities.</p>
<p><strong>Oregon the Model</strong></p>
<p>Nearly 18 percent of Americans live in places where aid-in-dying is legal. (Washington, D.C.&rsquo;s law is in jeopardy. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee last summer passed an amendment from Republican Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland that would nullify the D.C. law. If the House incorporates the amendment in its 2018 federal spending bill, it would doom the D.C. law.)</p>
<p>Most state measures are modeled on Oregon&rsquo;s law, which outlines steps for patients who want assistance in death: The patient must be a state resident, at least 18, still able to communicate, and diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less.</p>
<p>Patients must make two separate oral and one written request to their physician. The prescribing physician and a consulting physician must confirm the diagnosis and prognosis and determine whether the patient is capable of making a decision and isn&rsquo;t impaired by a mental disorder. And the prescribing physician must inform the patient of feasible alternatives to medical aid-in-dying, including hospice care and pain control.</p>
<p>Oregon closely&nbsp;<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year20.pdf">tracks how the law is used</a>. Since the law&rsquo;s enactment, 1,967 people received legal prescriptions under the law, and 1,275 ingested the medication. Oregon data shows the median age for people who took this option in 2017 was 74.</p>
<p>Byock said he believes doctors who provide aid-in-dying are violating the most sacred stricture in medicine. He also believes that in most cases, it is possible to provide pain relief to dying patients, and that the real problem is that quality palliative care is not universally available or embraced by the medical profession. He believes training in palliative care should be mandatory at medical schools.</p>
<p>Byock also points out that the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year20.pdf">biggest concern of Oregon patients</a>&nbsp;who used the law was not escape from pain, but their decreasing ability to enjoy their lives, loss of autonomy and loss of dignity, according to an Oregon report on its use. &ldquo;Plenty of other people face those same conditions,&rdquo; said Byock, including those with severe arthritis, depression or failing eyesight. &ldquo;Once we go down this road, it&rsquo;s a slippery slope.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In Oregon, however, it was not because they couldn&rsquo;t get end-of-life services that patients turned to aid-in-dying. About 90 percent were enrolled in hospice at the time of death, according to the most recent state data, published last month.</p>
<p>Byock acknowledges palliative care can&rsquo;t always take away pain. It didn&rsquo;t for T.J. Baudanza Jr., a onetime marketing manager who in 2015 died of colon cancer at age 32 in New Seabury, Massachusetts. &ldquo;T.J. died the way he feared he would,&rdquo; said Amanda Baudanza, his widow, in an interview. &ldquo;He suffered a prolonged, painful death because Massachusetts denied him the option of medical aid-in-dying.&rdquo; He was in hospice in the last portion of his life.</p>
<p>T.J. had been a big supporter of an aid-in-dying referendum that narrowly missed passage in Massachusetts in 2012, not long after his diagnosis. Now Amanda is championing aid-in-dying in the state Legislature.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m Catholic and so was T.J.,&rdquo; Amanda said, &ldquo;but he and I both believed that God wouldn&rsquo;t want anyone to suffer needlessly.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In New Jersey, Susan Boyce says her lungs are doing well enough that she believes her death is still off in the distance. She hopes to travel from her home in Rumson to Trenton to testify on behalf of the bill later this month.</p>
<p>Boyce doesn&rsquo;t know if, when the time comes, she actually would take medicine that would end her life. But she knows one thing. &ldquo;I want the option.&rdquo;</p>Michael Ollove, The Pew Charitable TrustsFri, 09 Mar 2018 12:02:46 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/aid-dying-gains-momentum-erstwhile-opponents-change-their-minds/146546/Health & Human ServicesThe New Jersey State House in Trenton. ShutterstockMiami, New York City and San Francisco Could Flood Every Day by 2100http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/miami-new-york-city-and-san-francisco-could-flood-every-day-2100/146535/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/metro_north_flooding/medium.jpg"
alt="Flooding at Metro-North&#39;s Harmon Yard along the Hudson River following Superstorm Sandy in October 2012."
title="Flooding at Metro-North&#39;s Harmon Yard along the Hudson River following Superstorm Sandy in October 2012."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Flooding from ever-higher high tides may become a weekly reality for parts of the coastal U.S. by the middle of this century, and a daily occurrence for major coastline cities by 2100, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/publications/techrpt86_PaP_of_HTFlooding.pdf">a report</a>&nbsp;published this week by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</p>
<p>And that&rsquo;s under a relatively conservative sea-level rise scenario. The report looked only at heightening high tides, and didn&rsquo;t take into account less predictable, more abrupt events, like a potential<strong>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://qz.com/1158601/over-153-million-homes-will-be-underwater-by-2100/">ice sheet</a>&nbsp;collapse at one of the poles.</p>
<p><strong>&lsquo;High Tide&rsquo; Flooding: When High Tides Get Too Damn High</strong></p>
<p>Right now, coastal communities are mostly designed to withstand the periodic rise in sea levels that come from the daily tides in their regions, with high tide being the highest &ldquo;normal&rdquo; level the sea reaches, and low tide the lowest. As sea-level rise drives up the height of those high tides, communities experience flooding.</p>
<p>Unless, of course, they make major adjustments to infrastructure. Miami, which now regularly floods during high tides, has already sunk&nbsp;<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article129284119.html">more than $100 million</a>&nbsp;into raising a few roads and installing pumps. And all signs point to that being not nearly enough&mdash;including this NOAA report, which says Miami could experience floods with every high tide by the end of the century. That means the most vulnerable parts of the city could flood daily.</p>
<p>Parts of New York City and San Francisco are also projected to flood every day by 2100 under an &ldquo;intermediate&rdquo; sea-level rise scenario&mdash;3 feet (1 meter) of sea-level rise and, among the three cities, &ldquo;the annual number of high tide flood days is projected to increase fastest at New York City.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Three feet of rise by 2100 is considered roughly the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/unfccc/cop19/3_gregory13sbsta.pdf">consensus estimate</a>&nbsp;under conditions where humanity fails to rapidly draw down greenhouse gas emissions. However, that estimate&mdash;backed by the the UN&rsquo;s climate change body&mdash;does not incorporate the possibility that large parts of the Antarctic ice sheet could become disintegrate into the sea.&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24012017/sea-level-rise-global-warming-federal-report-donald-trump">Other</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/30/antarctic-loss-could-double-expected-sea-level-rise-by-2100-scientists-say/?utm_term=.c4bad53de7cd">reports</a>&nbsp;that include ice-sheet collapse have put the figure&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/1158601/over-153-million-homes-will-be-underwater-by-2100/">much higher</a>.</p>
<p>Still, even under a very optimistic sea-level rise future&mdash;what the report calls its &ldquo;intermediate low&rdquo; scenario of 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) by 2100&mdash;NOAA says high-tide flooding will occur at least every other day (182 days or more per year) &ldquo;within the Northeast and Southeast Atlantic, the Eastern and Western Gulf, and the Pacific Islands.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Sea-level Rise Is Already Making Flooding More Frequent in 61 Places</strong></p>
<p>The NOAA report also looked backwards, at flood data for tide gauges in 99 locations across U.S. coasts (excluding Alaska). Over the past few decades, one-third of those locations showed the number of high-tide floods accelerating. Another third of the gauges showed high-tide flooding increasing steadily, by a similar rate each year.</p>
<p>That means in two-thirds of coastal communities in the U.S., sea-level rise is already making flooding more frequent.</p>
<p>Most of the locations where floods are increasing fastest were clustered along the Southeast and Northeast Atlantic coasts, but coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico and the Northwest and Southwest Pacific coasts were on the list, too.</p>
<p><strong>Today&rsquo;s Storm Will Be Tomorrow&rsquo;s High Tide</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;The numbers are staggering,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/profiles/aug09/sweet.html">William Sweet</a>, a NOAA oceanographer, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/05/590901652/new-report-predicts-rising-tides-more-flooding">NPR</a>&nbsp;prior to the report&rsquo;s release. &ldquo;Today&rsquo;s storm will be tomorrow&rsquo;s high tide.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He told NPR that storm surges like the ones which made headlines for flooding the East Coast of the US earlier this month would simply become part of the natural daily tide cycle.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That will be a high tide at some point in the future, whether that&rsquo;s two or three decades or eight decades,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see, but it&rsquo;s coming.&rdquo;</p>Zoë Schlanger, QuartzFri, 09 Mar 2018 00:14:25 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/miami-new-york-city-and-san-francisco-could-flood-every-day-2100/146535/InfrastructureFlooding at Metro-North's Harmon Yard along the Hudson River following Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityThe Mayor’s Life at SXSWhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/austin_mayor_steve_adler/medium.jpg"
alt="Austin Mayor Steve Adler speaks at the LBJ Library’s Future Forum in May 2017."
title="Austin Mayor Steve Adler speaks at the LBJ Library’s Future Forum in May 2017."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Austin is a boom town. While the metro area is no longer the fastest growing in the nation, it&rsquo;s still hanging around in the top 5. It is also known for the sort of innovation and tech-fueled job growth that dozens of mid-sized cities across the nation aspire to.</p>
<p>And on the first day of the city&rsquo;s annual moment in the international spotlight, as prominent figures are coming to share their knowledge with the world during the SXSW festival, Austin Mayor Steve Adler is <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorAdler/status/970728818121019392&gt;">tweeting about traffic</a>.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Friday is the first day of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SXSW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SXSW</a> -- and one of the worst traffic days of the year. That&#39;s why we declared Friday <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATXDetourDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATXDetourDay</a>. Let&#39;s do what we can to avoid rush hour. Details here: <a href="https://t.co/s6DIo4vfki">https://t.co/s6DIo4vfki</a> <a href="https://t.co/013snrymXe">pic.twitter.com/013snrymXe</a></p>
&mdash; Mayor Adler (@MayorAdler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorAdler/status/970728818121019392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>Such is the life of a mayor. Particularly one whose population is about to increase by nearly 50 percent over the next week.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I used to be really excited when SXSW would come because I&rsquo;d know which bands I wanted to go hear play, I knew which movies I wanted to go see, and now that I&rsquo;m doing this mayor&rsquo;s gig, I miss the movies I want to go see and I oftentimes have to be somewhere else when the band I want to hear is playing,&rdquo; Adler told <em>Route Fifty</em>.</p>
<p>Adler has a few other things on his plate. Of course, there&rsquo;s the obvious issues that come with being a fast-growing city. While a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mystatesman.com/business/survey-break-for-austin-area-apartment-renters-last/5iHmCexoaV49P7JymGOVHM/">building boom</a> and an&nbsp;<a href="https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/Corridor-Mobility-Program/gukj-e8fh/">infusion of investment in infrastructure</a> are taking some of the edge off of affordability and mobility issues in the city, they remain significant challenges. Those intertwined concerns are key areas for him at SXSW&rsquo;s mayors summit, <a href="http://www.civicio.com">Civic I/O</a>, in the coming days. &ldquo;When I get together with mayors I always start there,&rdquo; Adler said.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s not to say the mayor won&rsquo;t get to play host at a movie, a concert, and even <a href="https://franklinbbq.com/">Franklin Barbecue</a> during the week. But playing host is a different sort of experience.</p>
<p>While questions of equity, ideology and economic growth colliding will certainly come up for participants in SXSW&rsquo;s Interactive conference, which includes a <a href="https://www.sxsw.com/conference/cities-summit/">Cities Summit</a> for participants, Adler, a Democrat, is living the reality of these major policy issues day-to-day.</p>
<p>That reality includes an ongoing hard push back from the outside forces that are the Republican-controlled Texas legislature and conservative governor on Austin&rsquo;s progressivism. Last year the Texas state lawmakers<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-austin-the-air-smells-of-tacos-and-trees--and-city-state-conflict/2017/07/01/682eb420-54f7-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html?utm_term=.95624a0f3444"> held a special session</a> focused on eliminating local ordinances in major cities. In all, the city has been targeted for their efforts to protect undocumented immigrants as a &ldquo;sanctuary city,&rdquo; regulations on the sharing economy, technical issues like fees on telecommunications companies for using public land and efforts to maintain <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2017/09/private-tree-regulation-backlash/141250/">trees on private land</a>.</p>
<p>The setbacks hasn&rsquo;t deterred Austin&rsquo;s efforts. Last month the city&nbsp;<a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/02/the-fight-for-paid-sick-leave-moves-south/553760/">passed an ordinance that would mandate paid sick leave</a> for many workers in the city. Members of the legislature have already threatened to&nbsp;<a href="http://prospect.org/article/face-preemption-threats-austin-passes-paid-sick-leave">override that law</a>, as well.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think that having lived in Texas for several decades, I&rsquo;ve become totally convinced of the basic liberty interest that&rsquo;s involved with a community being able to decide what it&rsquo;s values are and how it&rsquo;s going to express its values in the ordinances, regulations and laws that it passes,&rdquo; Adler said. &ldquo;I see it as being&nbsp;really counterproductive when states try to impose upon local communities&rsquo; values that are not primary in those areas.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While preemption of local authority is a familiar issue for other mayors and one which will be part of a focus at their SXSW summit this year, like on many other issues, Austin and Adler seems to have seen more than most. Adler spoke passionately about mayors &ldquo;leading in the national environment and the international environment that we have right now.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not political,&rdquo; Adler was quick to note. &ldquo;That, again, is just trying to figure out what is the most effective and efficient way to really help the quality of life of people that here at the local level see me regularly at the grocery store.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It seems to all echo back to his State of the City speech last month, where he not only got technical on city finance, but also talked about local unity in the face of external divisiveness&mdash;be it the state legislature or national concerns about election interference.</p>
<p>So how&rsquo;s a mayor supposed to follow his favorite bands with those aspects going on in the background?</p>
<p>&ldquo;At this point for this period of time, I&rsquo;m going to really enjoy the opportunity to welcome people to the city, say hi to the other mayors that are coming to town, we have a couple of crown princes that are going to be arriving, and I&rsquo;m really looking forward to those conversations,&rdquo; Adler told me. &ldquo;You know, in a few years, I won&rsquo;t be able to talk to all the mayors, or the crown princes that are coming&mdash;I&rsquo;ll just have to settle for the movies I want to see and the music I want to hear, and that will be OK, too.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>ALSO from <em>Route Fifty</em>&rsquo;s coverage from SXSW 2018:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/tackle-opioid-epidemic-look-sewers/146667/">To Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Look to the Sewers</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/feature/sxsw-civic-io-tech-pitch/">Civic I/O Tech Pitch: The Winners and Finalists</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/cities-join-branding-bonanza/146620/">Cities Join the Branding Bonanza</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg/146596/">The President of Everywhere, USA</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/richard-berry-michael-nutter-sxsw/146547/">For Cities, Creativity and Convergence Need to Be the Norm</a></strong></li>
</ul>Mitch HerckisThu, 08 Mar 2018 21:55:53 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/austin-mayor-steve-adler-texas-sxsw/146533/ManagementAustin Mayor Steve Adler speaks at the LBJ Library’s Future Forum in May 2017.Jay Godwin / LBJ Library via Flickr West Virginia Ripple Effect Could Roll Into Another Statehttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/arizona-teacher-strike/146536/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/09/arizona_state_capitol/medium.jpg"
alt="The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix"
title="The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government stories that caught Route Fifty&rsquo;s attention &hellip;</em></p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC EDUCATION |</strong> Education labor news keeps rolling in after the nine-day statewide teacher strike in <strong>West Virginia</strong> ended Tuesday with officials agreeing to a 5-percent average pay hike. On Wednesday, <strong>Arizona</strong> teachers and supporters launched the <strong>#RedForEd</strong> movement, flooding social media with photos of themselves wearing red to work. Thousands of the state&#39;s teachers participated in the action, spurred by <strong>a funding crisis that has left districts struggling to fill positions</strong>. Experienced teachers aren&rsquo;t interested. <strong>Among Arizona&rsquo;s 46,000 teachers, 22 percent lack full qualifications</strong>, nearly 2,000 of that 22 percent have no formal teacher training and dozens of those lack even a college degree. Analysts say poor teacher pay and low education funding are to blame. Median pay for elementary school teachers is $40,590 per year, compared with $54,120 nationally. In 2014, Arizona ranked second to last among the states in average per-pupil spending at $7,457, compared with $11,066 nationally. The head of the Arizona teachers&#39; union said couldn&rsquo;t predict whether protests might turn into strikes in the coming days. [<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/03/07/arizona-teachers-wear-red-talk-strike-low-wages/401831002/"><em>The Arizona Republic</em></a>; <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/whats-the-plan-after-redfored-for-arizona-teachers-10210026"><em>Phoenix New Times</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>BALLOT INITIATIVES |</strong> In <strong>Youngstown, Ohio,</strong> a citizens group is making another run at banning oil and gas hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, within city limits. The<strong> Youngstown Community Bill of Rights Committee</strong> sailed through the initiative process this week, submitting more than enough valid petition signatures, but its momentum might yet be stalled in the courts. The <strong>Ohio Supreme Court</strong> ruled last year that a similar effort violated state laws. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re waiting for the [county] prosecutor&rsquo;s opinion,&rdquo; said elections board director <strong>Mark Munroe</strong>. [<a href="http://www.vindy.com/news/2018/mar/05/activists-try-again-get-anti-fracking-initiative-b/"><em>The Vindicator</em></a>]</p>
<p>The <strong>District of Columbia</strong> <strong>Board of Elections </strong>this week certified an initiative for the June 19 ballot that would <strong>phase out the city&rsquo;s &ldquo;tipped minimum wage&rdquo; system</strong>, which has kept waiters earning a base pay of $3.33 an hour before tips. Minimum wage in the nation&rsquo;s capital is currently $12.50 and set to rise to $15 by 2020. <strong>Initiative 77</strong> would replace the tipped wage system by 2025, after which <strong>waitstaff and bartenders would be paid the prevailing minimum wage</strong>, plus any tips customers choose to leave. Industry groups strongly oppose the initiative and have stoked fear that the proposal might dry up tips altogether and result in cuts in pay for tip-earning jobs. &nbsp;[<em><a href="https://wamu.org/story/18/03/07/d-c-waiters-earn-3-33-hour-plus-tips-voters-will-decide-thats-enough/">WAMU / 88.5 News</a></em>]</p>
<p><strong>Michigan</strong> is marching toward <strong>marijuana legalization</strong>. Recent polling found more than six in 10 state voters support a proposed statewide ballot initiative legalizing adult use and sale of pot. The poll was commissioned by Michigan NORML, a member of the<strong> Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol</strong>, which is backing the initiative. Proponents last fall turned in more than 360,000 petition signatures, an amount likely to meet the state threshold of 252,523 valid signatures. The initiative would appear on ballots in November. <strong>Oklahoma</strong> residents will vote June 26 on<a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/788.pdf"> State Question 788</a>, which would <strong>legalize medical marijuana</strong>. [<em><a href="http://blog.norml.org/2018/03/06/michigan-voter-support-grows-for-proposed-adult-use-initiative/">NORML blog</a></em>]</p>
<p><strong>Burlington, Vermont</strong> voters this week passed an &ldquo;<strong>advisory ballot initiative</strong>&rdquo; that seeks to head off a plan to <strong>base F-35 fighter jets</strong> at the city&rsquo;s airport. The initiative asks <a href="https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/02/27/f-35-burlington-ballot-question-spurs-debate-influx-of-ad-spending">the City Council to request federal officials</a> base the planes elsewhere. It has drawn sharp reaction among conservative residents who see it as selfish and unpatriotic. The <strong>Vermont Air National Guard </strong>was the first reserve unit in the country scheduled to receive the new planes. <strong>Many residents have fought against hosting the F-35s for years</strong>. They say the planes&rsquo; roaring noise will fill the sky, the kind of noise they had hoped to put an end to. The jets would<a href="https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2016/04/04/burlington-to-get-f-35s-in-2019-one-year-early"> arrive in 2019</a> and replace the F-16s currently based at the airport. [<a href="https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/03/06/burlington-voters-approve-anti-f-35-ballot-initiative"><em>Seven Days</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>South Dakota</strong> lawmakers are clashing over<strong> the state&rsquo;s relatively loose ballot initiative process</strong>, which draws a wide variety of national interest groups looking to test-run proposals. At the end of February, state House members tried and failed to pass a bill that aimed to rein in outside spending on initiatives. The measure would have restricted out-of-state donors to $100,000 in contributions to any one ballot question campaign per general election cycle. <strong>Speaker Mark Mickelson</strong>, a supporter of the bill, now plans to sponsor a ballot question that would ban out-of-state fundraising for initiatives. Meantime, this week, the state Senate has quietly launched bills designed to tighten up the initiative process. <strong>Senate Bills 9 and 13</strong> would require drafters of initiative questions to add more information for voters to consider, including potential projected costs of any proposition. In an <em>Argus Leader</em> op-ed, state <strong>Rep. Dan Ahlers</strong> sounded a warning: &ldquo;This requirement makes the ballot longer and more difficult for voters to navigate. Proponents of this measure know that the average voter will vote not to change a law or amend the Constitution if the measure appears to be complicated. Another problem with this requirement is that a fiscal note is an anticipated cost&hellip; [but some anticipated costs] are never incurred.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/south-dakota/articles/2018-02-28/senators-reject-out-of-state-money-cap-for-ballot-questions"><em>AP</em></a>; <a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/07/house-passes-election-reform-bill-opponents-deem-onslaught-against-our-initiative-and-referendum-pro/315164002/"><em>Argus Leader</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>MUNICIPAL BROADBAND | </strong>Frustrated with slow movement on a push to adopt city-owned high-speed broadband in <strong>Cambridge, Massachusetts</strong>, supporters have formed <strong>Upgrade Cambridge</strong>, an activist group that intends to press for action. In 2014, the city formed <strong>a municipal broadband task force</strong> to explore the issue and, in 2016, the task delivered its recommendations to move ahead. According to a spokesman for the city manager&rsquo;s office, the city would be &ldquo;<strong>deciding on next steps in the next two to five months</strong>.&rdquo; Upgrade Cambridge will be waiting. &ldquo;Infrastructure is destiny,&rdquo; said member <strong>Roy Russell</strong>. &ldquo;Building the right infrastructure will improve opportunities for everyone in our fair city.&rdquo; [<a href="https://upgradecambridge.org/"><em>Upgrade Cambridge</em></a>; <a href="http://www.cambridgeday.com/2018/03/07/group-forms-to-pressure-city-on-broadband-saying-no-alternative-to-municipal-inaction/"><em>Cambridge Today</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ONLINE RETAIL TAXES |</strong> On Monday, <strong>41 states, two territories and the District of Columbia</strong> filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a <strong>South Dakota</strong> law that would <strong>require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales tax</strong>. The case, which the court is scheduled to hear in April, turns on a 1992 decision that found state officials could only require remote sellers to collect sales taxes if the seller maintained a physical presence in that state. As online shopping has grown in the decades since then, however, most states have been pushing for an update to the law. &ldquo;We cannot allow homegrown, brick-and-mortar businesses to be put at a competitive disadvantage by an ancient tax ruling that was made decades before the first retail internet purchase was made a retail sale,&rdquo; said <strong>Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman</strong>. &ldquo;States are losing billions of dollars in tax revenue, and it&rsquo;s unacceptable.&rdquo; Coffman&rsquo;s office is lead counsel for the states coalition behind the brief. The Trump administration and some major retail groups also support South Dakota in the case. [<a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/377079-sales-tax-battle-moves-to-the-supreme-court"><em>The Hill</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>CITY HALLS |</strong> What exactly happened in <strong>Manchester, New Hampshire Mayor Joyce Craig</strong>&rsquo;s City Hall office during a meeting with Arts Commission Chair <strong>Daniel Berube</strong>? Last week, Berube exited the meeting and casually proceeded to gouge <strong>a 6-foot-long gash</strong> along one of the building&rsquo;s hallway walls. The very end of <strong>the act was caught on security tape</strong>. Berube appears unperturbed as he turns a corner away from the wall, as if he had acted merely on an aesthetic impulse, a need to <strong>match the bland bureaucratic interior with a bland distressing gesture</strong>. Berube turned himself into police Tuesday and was arrested for criminal mischief. Later that day, he resigned from the arts commission &ldquo;with complete regret and a heavy heart.&rdquo; He has also <strong>agreed to pay hundreds of dollars to repair the damage</strong>. City Hall staff reported no shouting or arguing during Berube&rsquo;s meeting with Craig. They described the meeting as &ldquo;mundane.&rdquo; Berube is a filmmaker and producer who grew up in Manchester. [<a href="http://www.newhampshire.com/crime/manchester-arts-commission-chairman-arrested-for-vandalizing-city-hall-after-meeting-with-mayor-20180306"><em>Union Leader</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://newenglandfilm.com/magazine/2016/08/the-chain-nh-filmmaker-daniel-berube"><em>New England Film</em></a>]</p>John Tomasic, Special to Route FiftyThu, 08 Mar 2018 21:48:26 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/arizona-teacher-strike/146536/FinanceThe Arizona State Capitol in PhoenixShutterstockPaul Ryan Says House Infrastructure Action Will Happen in 'Stages'http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/paul-ryan-house-trump-infrastructure/146532/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/08/paul_ryan/medium.jpg"
alt="Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and GOP leaders meet with reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018."
title="Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and GOP leaders meet with reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>House Republicans will move ahead with a series of infrastructure bills in the coming months, Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday.</p>
<p>The Wisconsin Republican&#39;s&nbsp;comments came a day after he ruled out the possibility of hiking the federal gas tax, and&nbsp;as the Trump administration is promoting a public works plan that calls for $200 billion of federal spending, mostly for new grant programs.</p>
<p>Until&nbsp;legislation&nbsp;starts to emerge, it will be unclear how closely the efforts Ryan described will hew toward the plan Trump has proposed. Some of the bills the speaker referenced&nbsp;were due to arise in Congress even without&nbsp;any extra prodding by the president.</p>
<p>&quot;The plan is to do this in&nbsp;about five or six different bills,&quot; Ryan&nbsp;told an audience at a&nbsp;Home Depot facility&nbsp;in Atlanta. He added: &quot;We&#39;re going to start in about a week-and-a-half with our infrastructure bills and move into the summer passing these bills.&quot;</p>
<p>First up, he said, would be a&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization measure.&nbsp;After that, according to the speaker, would come measures to address more &quot;traditional infrastructure,&quot; such as&nbsp;highways, bridges,&nbsp;canals, harbors and the electrical grid.</p>
<p>&quot;We&#39;re going to do that in different stages,&quot; Ryan said.</p>
<p>Infrastructure like harbors and locks falls within the bounds of the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA. WRDA bills have been traditionally authorized every two years. One was last enacted in 2016.</p>
<p>Congressional action on a new WRDA bill has been anticipated this year. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held two hearings in January focused on the legislation.</p>
<p>Ryan also referred to a spending package lawmakers are now working on for the current 2018 fiscal year as a&nbsp;&quot;downpayment on the infrastructure plan.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
<p>A two-year budget deal lawmakers reached last month included <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/infrastructure-budget-deal-spending-caps/145805/" target="_blank">a $20 billion plus-up</a>&nbsp;for infrastructure, split between fiscal 2018 and 2019. How lawmakers will divide that money between programs remains to be seen. Legislation is due by a March 23 deadline.</p>
<p>The speaker stressed that private investment and speeding up project permitting and approvals&nbsp;would be key elements as the GOP proceeds with its infrastructure agenda. Attracting private dollars to projects and keeping permitting and approval times to two-years or less are two&nbsp;central tenets in Trump&#39;s infrastructure plan.</p>
<p>Absent from the president&#39;s public works blueprint are ideas for where to get&nbsp;new federal revenue for added infrastructure spending.</p>
<p>Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/14/trump-gas-tax-409647" target="_blank">reportedly</a> voiced support for a&nbsp;gas tax increase last month. Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/gas-tax-infrastructure/146464/" target="_blank">has also backed the idea</a>.</p>
<p>Ryan not so much.&nbsp;&quot;We&rsquo;re not going to raise gas taxes,&quot; <a href="https://americansforprosperity.org/icymi-house-speaker-paul-ryan-and-afp-president-tim-phillips-energize-afp-grassroots-activists-in-tax-reform-tele-town-hall/" target="_blank">he said</a> during a &quot;tele-town hall&quot; on Wednesday held by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, according to a transcript of the call.</p>
<p>&quot;We&rsquo;re just not going to do that here,&quot; he added.</p>Bill LuciaThu, 08 Mar 2018 20:13:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/paul-ryan-house-trump-infrastructure/146532/InfrastructureSpeaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and GOP leaders meet with reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018.AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteStates Want More Money and Less Punishment Over Opioidshttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/governors-opioid-funding-congress/146528/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/08/states/medium.jpeg"
alt="Oregon Gov. Kate Brown"
title="Oregon Gov. Kate Brown"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The governors of Maryland and Oregon asked senators Thursday to step up funding and coordination with states tackling the evolving opioid crisis, while rejecting a &ldquo;punitive approach&rdquo; to addiction.</p>
<p>Testifying before the <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/the-opioid-crisis-leadership-and-innovation-in-the-states">Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee</a> on Capitol Hill, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said nearly 2,000 people died from opioid overdoses in his state last year&mdash;more than firearm- and vehicle-related deaths combined.</p>
<p>Oregon Gov. Kate Brown illustrated the toll opioids were having on child welfare in her own state, where about 60 percent of kids in the foster care system have at least one parent with a substance abuse issue.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Right now the federal government recognizes the problem but is focused on punishment,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;That leaves us, the states, to right the wrongs of a war on drugs that has done nothing to address the issues that drive this public health crisis, while our prisons and our foster care systems are filled to capacity with its victims.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The epidemic has affected almost every state, with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0306-vs-opioids-overdoses.html">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reporting</a> a 30-percent increase in emergency room visits nationally for suspected opioid overdoses between July 2016 and September 2017. Data from 16 states hit hard by the crisis showed eight with increases in ER visits for suspected opioid overdoses of 25 percent or greater.</p>
<p>Maryland implemented a regional prescription drug monitoring program and limited the number of pills physicians could prescribe, only for heroin distribution to increase&mdash;followed by that of fentanyl and carfentanil. Addicts are killing themselves with a single use of fentanyl, which is also being used to lace cocaine in the state, and carfentanil is 50 to 100 times more deadly.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I was the first governor in America to declare a real state of emergency on this issue because we decided that we needed to treat this crisis just like we would treat any other natural or manmade disaster,&rdquo; Hogan said.</p>
<p>The Republican governor estimated Maryland has spent a half-billion dollars fighting the opioid epidemic. Fentanyl use was up about 70 percent in Maryland in 2017, trafficked in from China and Mexico, prompting Hogan to ask for more funding to track delivery services and for increased federal interdiction through the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1354/all-info">Stop Trafficking in Fentanyl Act</a>, currently in the House of Representatives.</p>
<p>Brown, a Democrat, said Oregon would use any additional federal funds to get affordable, generic overdose drugs like naloxone, or Narcan, into the hands of all first responders and invest the remainder in behavioral health and substance abuse treatments. A prescription is no longer needed to get the drug over the counter in Maryland, per state law.</p>
<p>&ldquo;States really are the ones that come up with the best ideas to tackle big problems because states are on the front lines,&rdquo; said Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican and the committee&rsquo;s chairman. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s usually the federal government&rsquo;s role to encourage them to cut the red tape and create an environment where states and communities can innovate.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Hogan characterized himself as &ldquo;a states&rsquo; rights guy,&rdquo; like Alexander, but said more federal standards were needed for things like e-prescribing because states can&rsquo;t control what&rsquo;s occurring on the internet.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Oregon&rsquo;s governor wanted to see the federal government outline a more comprehensive approach to pain management and enable her state to make substance abuse treatment available to anyone in custody.</p>
<p>Oregon&rsquo;s legislature recently passed a bill ensuring a &ldquo;warm handoff&rdquo; of patients with addictions from emergency rooms to peer mentors that can get them into treatment, and Brown will issue an executive order soon requiring a comprehensive strategic plan for treatment programs statewide.</p>
<p>&ldquo;One of the challenges that we face in this arena is that the data, in terms of the physicians that are able to prescribe medically assisted treatment, that&rsquo;s not available to the states,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;It would be extremely useful if we could access that information.&rdquo;</p>
<p>State and federal governments are starting to take a hard look at drug companies&rsquo; role in creating and sustaining the opioid crisis.</p>
<p>Massachusetts leads a bipartisan coalition of 41 states investigating drug manufacturers and distributors, said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and more than 30 of her state&rsquo;s cities and towns have launched lawsuits. Hogan said he&rsquo;d directed Maryland&rsquo;s attorney general to target pharmaceutical companies where appropriate, and the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/">Justice Department</a> also just started a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-sessions-announces-new-prescription-interdiction-litigation-task-force">Prescription Interdiction &amp; Litigation Task Force</a>.</p>
<p>Oregon was the first state to receive a settlement, north of $1 million, from drug maker Insys Therapeutics over deceptive marketing and payments made to sell an opioid. More than half that money went back into opioid treatment and recovery while a portion went to the <a href="https://www.ohsu.edu/">Oregon Health and Science University</a>, Brown said, advocating for a &ldquo;case-by-case&rdquo; approach to targeting CEOs where wrongdoing appears &ldquo;egregious.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We have seen after far too long that we can&rsquo;t simply treat this as a law enforcement issue,&rdquo; said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee&rsquo;s ranking Democrat. &ldquo;To fully address the crisis we have to treat it as a health care issue, as a child welfare issue and as a drain on our local economies.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirThu, 08 Mar 2018 17:13:43 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/governors-opioid-funding-congress/146528/Health & Human ServicesOregon Gov. Kate BrownJose Luis Magana / AP PhotoThe Health-Care Gap Between Red and Blue Americahttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/health-care-gap-between-red-and-blue-america/146526/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/08/cedars_sinai_los_angeles/medium.jpg"
alt="Cedars Sinai Medical Center hospital in Los Angeles"
title="Cedars Sinai Medical Center hospital in Los Angeles"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The battle over health care is moving to the states.</p>
<p>The most immediate effect of the recent steps taken by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to unravel the Affordable Care Act will be to create an even deeper gulf between red and blue states in the availability and quality of health insurance. An array of blue states are exploring ways not only to blunt Trump&rsquo;s moves, but also to reach beyond the ACA with new mechanisms to expand coverage. Simultaneously, many red states are leaning into the rollback&mdash;both by seeking to limit access to Medicaid, and by embracing Trump&rsquo;s efforts to deregulate insurance markets in ways that will restore the pre-ACA separation between the healthy and sick.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In the states that don&rsquo;t act to strengthen their regulation, you are going to see these non-group-insurance markets weaken&rdquo; by eroding the risk-sharing between the healthy the and sick that the ACA required, Linda Blumberg, a fellow at the Urban Institute who closely studies the law, says. &ldquo;It really takes us major steps back to where we were prior to [the law].&rdquo;</p>
<p>Two big moves from Trump and congressional Republicans are expanding this wedge between the states. The first is the tax bill&rsquo;s provision repealing the ACA&rsquo;s individual mandate, which required all Americans to buy insurance. The second is&nbsp;<a href="https://khn.org/news/trump-administration-unveils-proposed-rule-to-loosen-restrictions-on-short-term-health-plans/">the administration&rsquo;s recent proposal</a>&nbsp;to significantly expand the availability of &ldquo;short-term&rdquo; health plans that don&rsquo;t guarantee minimum benefits or prohibit discrimination against consumers with preexisting health problems.</p>
<p>Those two measures encourage healthier people to leave the ACA exchanges, and either purchase the skimpy, but less expensive, short-term plans or forego insurance altogether.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/96781/stld_draft_0226_finalized_0.pdf">In a recent study,</a>&nbsp;the Urban Institute projected about 9 million people would abandon the exchanges for one of those options. That would leave an older and sicker population remaining on the exchanges, which would raise premiums and reduce access to care, particularly for those who earn too much to qualify for the federal subsidies the ACA established.</p>
<p>But states have a surprising degree of autonomy to block Trump&rsquo;s moves, and blue states are positioning themselves to do so. Five Democratic-leaning states in the Northeast already functionally prohibit the sale of short-term plans, and several others&mdash;Washington state has moved the quickest&mdash;may join them with regulatory or legislative limits.</p>
<p>Even more ambitiously, about a half-dozen states are examining ways to restore a mandate on individuals to buy insurance. The conversations are most advanced in Maryland, where state legislators are racing against an April 9 adjournment date to pass an individual mandate with an intriguing twist: The legislation would allow anyone without insurance to funnel their penalty into an account they could apply to buying coverage the next year.</p>
<p>As Maryland demonstrates, blue states are looking beyond blocking Trump&rsquo;s moves and moving toward expanding the ACA framework. Several states are exploring proposals to restore a public option to compete with private insurers&mdash;a top liberal priority dropped from the ACA amid resistance from the insurance industry and centrist Democrats. Through the new proposals, Democrats would allow the uninsured to buy into state Medicaid plans. New Mexico legislators are examining the idea, and J.B. Pritzker, the front-runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Illinois, has endorsed it.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, given its liberal lean and enthusiastic embrace of the ACA, California is pursuing multiple avenues to build on the health-care law. Anthony Wright, the executive director of the advocacy group Health Access California, told me his state is likely to pass legislation blocking short-term plans. And while many liberals in the state remain focused on the long-term goal of establishing a state-run single-payer system, where government directly pays for all health-care services, Wright expects growing consideration of restoring a mandate&mdash;coupled with financial assistance&mdash;and creating a Medicaid buy-in. With such steps, Wright said, California reformers believe they can reduce the state&rsquo;s uninsured rate to &ldquo;European [levels] of 1 or 2 percent &hellip; even without the single-payer options.&rdquo;</p>
<p>That would place California on a strikingly different trajectory from red states, which are embracing the Trump rollback. With the Trump administration&rsquo;s approval of&nbsp;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/05/news/economy/arkansas-medicaid-work-requirements/index.html">Arkansas&rsquo;s request earlier this week</a>, three red states have now imposed work and reporting requirements that will limit access to Medicaid; the administration says 17 other states are considering similar ideas. Few red-state officials have raised objections to Trump&rsquo;s moves to unravel the ACA&rsquo;s mechanisms to share risk.</p>
<p>Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University&rsquo;s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, cautions that state-level responses that could preserve risk-sharing &ldquo;are not necessarily slam-dunk issues even for a very progressive state.&rdquo; Like many experts, she believes blue states are less likely to impose their own individual mandate&mdash;historically an unpopular idea&mdash;than to limit the short-term plans. And even that&rsquo;s not guaranteed, because the plans can be attractive to some middle-class customers seeking cheaper alternatives. The end result? States may slow Trump&rsquo;s unraveling of the ACA, but very few are likely to entirely prevent it.</p>
<p>Yet that may prove a very mixed blessing for the GOP in the midterm elections. The Urban Institute forecasts that the administration&rsquo;s moves against the ACA could increase insurance premiums on the exchanges by fully 18 percent next year. Larry Levitt, the senior vice president for health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me that Congress could offset most of that possible increase by passing &ldquo;reinsurance&rdquo; legislation from Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. Their bill would reimburse insurers for covering the most expensive patients. But with the administration privately&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/971182204947755009/photo/1">demanding exorbitant concessions</a>&nbsp;in exchange for accepting such a plan, the measure&rsquo;s prospects appear dim.</p>
<p>That means health insurers are likely to announce major premium increases during the next ACA open-enrollment period&mdash;just weeks before the midterms. In&nbsp;<a href="http://files.kff.org/attachment/Topline-Kaiser-Health-Tracking-Poll%E2%80%93January-2018">a January national Kaiser poll</a>, three-fifths of Americans said they would blame Trump and the GOP for any further ACA problems. By creating the conditions for big premium hikes this fall, Republicans in Washington and the states appear determined to test that proposition.</p>Ronald Brownstein, The AtlanticThu, 08 Mar 2018 16:46:16 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/health-care-gap-between-red-and-blue-america/146526/Health & Human ServicesCedars Sinai Medical Center hospital in Los AngelesShutterstockHouse Panel Chairman: Stop the 'Shotgun' Approach to Infrastructurehttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/infrastructure-revenues-garret-graves/146506/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/08/garret_graves/medium.jpg"
alt="Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, during the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets hearing on FEMA&#39;s response to the flooding in Baton Rouge La. "
title="Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, during the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets hearing on FEMA&#39;s response to the flooding in Baton Rouge La. "
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON&nbsp;&mdash; Before any debate in Congress&nbsp;takes place about raising new money for public works projects, U.S. Rep. Garret Graves would like&nbsp;lawmakers to take a couple of other steps.</p>
<p>The Louisiana Republican, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on water resources and the environment, told&nbsp;<em>Route Fifty</em>&nbsp;earlier this week that it would be &quot;ignorant&quot; to talk about added infrastructure revenue without first improving the systems used to develop and deliver projects.</p>
<p>Additionally, he&#39;d like to see&nbsp;an&nbsp;inventory of&nbsp;infrastructure programs spread across the federal bureaucracy, a look at their costs and benefits and the national mission they&#39;re advancing, and a process to reprioritize&nbsp;and reallocate existing funds.</p>
<p>&quot;Instead of trying to take&nbsp;this shotgun approach, and throwing a nickel at every $10 problem across the country, I think what makes more sense&nbsp;is: let&#39;s prioritize what the federal government&#39;s true infrastructure objectives are and then invest money in those things,&quot; Graves said during an interview outside the U.S. Capitol.</p>
<p>&quot;Be a reliable federal partner,&quot; he added. &quot;And go ahead and tell the states, say, &#39;look,&nbsp;in five years, we are no longer going to do x, y and z.&#39;&quot;</p>
<p>Graves, whose district encompasses an area around Baton Rouge, won a second term in 2016 and is up for re-election in November.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Previously, he served as Louisiana&#39;s&nbsp;chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which oversees&nbsp;the development&nbsp;and implementation of plans to restore coastline and combat flooding.</p>
<p>He says he recognizes certain transportation and &quot;resiliency&quot; infrastructure could use more money. And he says&nbsp;there&#39;s a &quot;merit-worthy&quot; debate to be had about indexing the gas tax (currently, the tax does not automatically go up to account for&nbsp;inflation).</p>
<p>&quot;In some cases, if you make the right principled investments, you actually save money,&quot; he said. But Graves added: &quot;I think that there&#39;s a lot more money that&#39;s on the table&nbsp;than people realize today and we have not done a good job really utilizing some of those investments.&quot;</p>
<p>President Trump put forward an infrastructure blueprint last month&nbsp;that calls for $200 billion of federal spending, mostly on new grant programs. It also includes a raft of proposals aimed at speeding up project permitting and approvals. The White House plan has sparked conversation about infrastructure on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>But committees in the House and Senate have yet to roll out any legislation for a major infrastructure package, and key lawmakers have not coalesced around options for how to pay for new spending on roads, railways, water systems&nbsp;and other public works.</p>
<p>House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday&nbsp;effectively declared dead any House effort to raise the gas tax this year during a <a href="https://americansforprosperity.org/icymi-house-speaker-paul-ryan-and-afp-president-tim-phillips-energize-afp-grassroots-activists-in-tax-reform-tele-town-hall/" target="_blank">&quot;tele-town hall&quot;</a> with the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.</p>
<p>This despite endorsements for raising the tax <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/14/trump-gas-tax-409647" target="_blank">from&nbsp;Trump</a> and House Transportation and Infrastructure <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/" target="_blank">Chairman Bill Shuster</a>.</p>
<p>Looking beyond funding and Trump&#39;s plan, Graves backed an idea Shuster raised this week to move the Army Corps of Engineers civil works division out of the Defense Department.</p>
<p>Shuster said that, 200 years ago, the Army might have been the only arm of the federal government that could build a dam or road project. &quot;Today, there&#39;s no need for civil works to remain at DOD,&quot; he added. Shuster said his preference would be to move the civil works component of the Corps to the U.S. Department of Transportation.</p>
<p>Graves said his &quot;two cents&quot; would be&nbsp;to pull together stakeholders and experts who can help come up with a transition plan, which might involve moving different parts of the agency to different places. &quot;This can&#39;t be a priority within Department of Defense,&quot; he said of the Corps&#39; work,&nbsp;&quot;and it needs to be in an agency where it can be a priority.&quot;</p>Bill LuciaThu, 08 Mar 2018 15:09:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/infrastructure-revenues-garret-graves/146506/InfrastructureRep. Garret Graves, R-La., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, during the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets hearing on FEMA's response to the flooding in Baton Rouge La. AP Photo/Molly RileyAfter EPA Flip, a Push in Several States to Block ‘Harmful’ Pesticidehttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/after-epa-flip-push-block-harmful-pesticide/146511/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/08/maryland_statehouse/medium.jpg"
alt="The Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis."
title="The Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was originally published by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Rebecca Beitsch.</em></p>
<p>A month after Scott Pruitt began leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the former Oklahoma attorney general rejected an Obama-era recommendation from agency scientists to ban a widely used pesticide from use on food crops.</p>
<p>That means farmers can continue to spray&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/chlorpyrifos">chlorpyrifos on crops ranging from corn to cranberries</a>. The change was welcomed by farm groups and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which said farmers need access to the chemical to stop infestations.</p>
<p>But environmentalists, who had been working for years to get the Obama administration to crack down on the pesticide, were outraged. And officials in several states&mdash;all led by Democrats&mdash;now say that if the federal government won&rsquo;t force the pesticide off their lands, they will. Seven states have sued the EPA over Pruitt&rsquo;s decision. In at least four states, legislators have filed bills to ban the product.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If it&rsquo;s not going to be done federally, we should do it at state level,&rdquo; said Maryland Del. Dana Stein, a Democrat who introduced a chlorpyrifos ban. &ldquo;This is the tactic. It&rsquo;s the only available option.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The chlorpyrifos quarrel is yet another skirmish in what is likely to be a yearslong battle between blue states and the Trump administration&rsquo;s EPA. Already, Democratic-run states say they will&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/01/22/trumps-environmental-actions-spark-resistance-in-many-states">sue over rollbacks of Obama-era regulations</a>&nbsp;and crack down on fossil fuel polluters.</p>
<p>Caught in the middle of the chlorpyrifos debate are farmers such as Stephen V. Lee IV of New Jersey, a sixth-generation cranberry farmer who says the pesticide can save crops from serious infestations when no other chemical is working.</p>
<p>Lee testified against a chlorpyrifos ban bill in his state last year, telling legislators he had used the substance only three times in the past decade.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like the fire extinguisher or the red button,&rdquo; Lee said in an interview. He said he only uses chlorpyrifos when his existing pest management practices don&rsquo;t stand up against a bug. The bill has been reintroduced this year.</p>
<p>Chlorpyrifos is used on a wide range of agricultural products, designed to kill nearly any bug that comes into contact with it. When Lee went to use it against mirid bugs, which pierce plants and suck out their juices, leading to death and decay, he had to wait until bees left his field before he could spray.</p>
<p>The Obama administration had targeted chlorpyrifos, known on the market as Lorsban, to be phased out after EPA scientists recommended a ban on the pesticide in 2016, citing health effects on farmworkers and children.</p>
<p>Scientists worry that it affects the human nervous system much like it attacks those of insects. The substance was banned for household use in 2000, and studies found children who had been exposed to it had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/29/521898976/will-the-epa-reject-a-pesticide-or-its-own-scientific-evidence">lower IQs than those who were not</a>. The pesticide has also been linked to learning and memory issues and prolonged nerve and muscle stimulation.</p>
<p>In his ruling, Pruitt said the science is inconclusive and that the agency plans to continue studying the effects of chlorpyrifos.</p>
<p>Lynn Goldman, the head of George Washington University&rsquo;s Milken Institute School of Public Health and former administrator of the EPA&rsquo;s pesticide office under President Bill Clinton, said scientists would have reviewed outside studies as well as data from Dow, the company that makes chlorpyrifos, in order to be confident in their findings.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It is unprecedented for an EPA administrator to overrule the scientific judgement of EPA&rsquo;s pesticide office,&rdquo; Goldman said in her testimony to the Maryland Legislature. &ldquo;The only possible basis for such a decision is political.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The EPA did not respond to questions about the state-level bans, but at the time of the decision, the EPA released a statement from the Office of Pest Management Policy in another agency, the USDA, saying the decision was &ldquo;grounded in evidence and science.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Dow did not respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>This year, lawmakers in Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii and Vermont are considering bills that would ban the use of chlorpyrifos, and a bill in Minnesota urges the EPA to reconsider its decision. The legislation pits environmental scientists against chemical purveyors and conventional farmers against organic ones.</p>
<p>Even if conventional farmers don&rsquo;t use chlorpyrifos regularly &mdash; its use has declined fairly steadily since the early 1990s due in part to a turn to pest-resistant genetically modified corn &mdash; many say they still need access to it in worst-case scenarios.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned normal"><img alt="" class="normal" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/08/sln_0306_graphic.png" />
<figcaption>(via The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People who spray such pesticides have to have a license from the state and wear a specially fitted mask. Workers must stay out of the fields where chlorpyrifos has been sprayed for at least 24 hours and up to five days for some crops.</p>
<p>The 17-page label that comes with the product spells out strict guidelines for its use that were developed by the EPA, including how soon before harvest the product can be used. For Lee&rsquo;s cranberry fields in New Jersey, chlorpyrifos can&rsquo;t be used within 60 days of harvest.</p>
<p>Lee is not an EPA basher. He wants the agency to keep studying chemicals to make sure they&rsquo;re safe. But he&rsquo;s not nervous when he uses chlorpyrifos.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like asking a police officer if they get nervous when they go to work every day,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;When I apply material it&rsquo;s a serious business. I&rsquo;ve been properly trained and certified; I go to continuing education, and I&rsquo;ve got guidelines from the EPA that I follow. So no, I&rsquo;m not nervous.&rdquo;</p>
<p>But it&rsquo;s not just farmworker health that opponents are worried about. They cite health risks to the general population and the environment as the chemical continues through the food chain and makes its way into water.</p>
<p>Cornell University&nbsp;<a href="http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/chlorpyrifos-ext.html">lists the pesticide</a>&nbsp;as moderately to highly toxic to birds and very highly toxic to freshwater and marine organisms.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For terrestrial organisms &mdash; birds, owls, things like that &mdash; it&rsquo;s generally not considered very toxic. However, once it gets in the water, it&rsquo;s a neurotoxin for all crustaceans or arthropods, things with joined legs, insects, crabs, that sort of thing,&rdquo; said Doug Myers, Maryland senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. &ldquo;You start messing with Maryland crabs, and that&rsquo;s poking a fight.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cleo Braver was one of many organic farmers who came to a recent hearing on Stein&rsquo;s bill in Maryland to talk about alternatives to chlorpyrifos&mdash;organic pesticides for some bugs, nematode parasites for others.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are plenty of alternatives,&rdquo; said Braver, who grows vegetables on her farm in Easton. &ldquo;There are fantastic databases that you can even pull up on your phone in the field. Farmers who want an alternative to chlorpyrifos can search by either the crop you use it on or the pest they want to use it against.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Conventional farmers in Maryland, however, argue the pesticide might be the last weapon against pests such as the spotted lantern fly, which they worry could be a major threat to the state&rsquo;s vineyards.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It will wipe out 90 percent of a vineyard,&rdquo; said Colby Ferguson, the director of government relations of the Maryland Farm Bureau Inc. &ldquo;The spotted lantern fly is a bad, bad dude, and if Maryland eliminates chlorpyrifos, that would be eliminated as a last line of defense.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s the testimony from conventional farmers who talk about the risks of losing an entire crop to bugs that makes legislators wary of a ban.</p>
<p>New Jersey state Rep. Shirley Turner, a Democrat who has sponsored a bill&nbsp; to ban the pesticide the last two years, said testimony like Lee&rsquo;s makes legislators cautious. She expects better luck this year with more Democratic legislators and a new Democratic governor.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Legislators didn&rsquo;t feel competent about it to make a decision, particularly after a farmer said it saved their crop,&rdquo; she said.</p>Rebecca Beitsch, The Pew Charitable TrustsThu, 08 Mar 2018 13:26:29 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/after-epa-flip-push-block-harmful-pesticide/146511/Health & Human ServicesThe Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis.ShutterstockMayors Set to Converge on Austin for SXSWhttp://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/civic-io-mayors-summit-austin-texas/146460/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/austin_texas/medium.jpg"
alt="Austin, Texas"
title="Austin, Texas"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Mayors from across the U.S. will descend on Austin, Texas this week to take part in&nbsp;the&nbsp;city&#39;s signature festival that brings together music, arts, innovation and tech.</p>
<p>For the third year, the city leaders will have their own summit at SXSW (those four letters are pronounced, &quot;South-by-Southwest,&quot; by the way)&nbsp;known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.civicio.com/">Civic I/O</a>.&nbsp;Civic I/O provides the mayors with opportunities to collaborate with the innovative minds from across the world.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think there are about 30 mayors that are coming to the U.S. Conference of Mayors SXSW track, Civic I/O, but the U.S. Conference of Mayors has also moved their leadership meeting to Austin this year, and I think that&rsquo;s going to bring in another 20 or so mayors,&rdquo; Mayor Steve Adler told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;It wouldn&rsquo;t surprise me if we had 50 to 60 mayors from around the country with us.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Mayors seem a natural and timely fit for a conference that centers on convergence. And they&#39;ve continued to expand their footprint at the conference in recent years.</p>
<p>SXSW has been a magnet for artists and media leaders around the country since soon after its inception in the 80s, but politicians got in on the game a bit later. By 1993, Texas Gov. Ann Richards was the keynote speaker for the conference; mayors began showing up in the schedule with some regularity, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015 and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2016&mdash;then-President Barack Obama also took the stage that year.</p>
<p>In 2018, <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP77018">local</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP78207">civic</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP76328">leaders</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP99974">pop</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP73886">up</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP98243">across</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP71549">all</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP98662">of</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP78651?_ga=2.208365906.1927244569.1520273225-774599794.1516130309">SXSW&rsquo;s</a> <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP98705?_ga=2.208365906.1927244569.1520273225-774599794.1516130309">programming</a>. Perhaps equally important from our semi-bias viewpoint, <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP99161">you will find Route Fifty there</a>, so be sure to come join us.</p>
<p>While local leaders have exchanged best practices through membership organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors for almost a century, newer efforts from non-profit organizations and private sector partners are turning cities into platforms for civic technology. Whether its<a href="https://www.bloomberg.org/program/government-innovation/#intro"> Bloomberg Philanthropies</a>&rsquo; efforts to drive innovation in America&rsquo;s cities, Amazon&rsquo;s<a href="https://aws.amazon.com/stateandlocal/cityonacloud/"> City on a Cloud</a>, or<a href="https://www.sidewalklabs.com/"> Sidewalk Lab&rsquo;s</a> experiments to optimize cities, the future of civic life seems to be collaborative.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t run a city now without thinking about non-profits and the business sector,&rdquo; Tom Cochran, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors told <em>Route Fifty</em>. He explained that Washington, while still important, can no longer be relied upon as the main support mechanism. &ldquo;The money is not going out like it did&mdash;the resources are not going out&mdash;it&rsquo;s just pretty dead.&rdquo;</p>
<p>That leaves partnerships, creativity and innovation as primary drivers for mayors attempting to improve the lives of their constituents.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As mayors have taken on a greater role as one of the key innovators in government, it makes sense for them to be in the space where conversations about technology and innovation are happening,&rdquo; Sly Majid, Austin&rsquo;s chief service officer and a key organizer of Civic I/O, said in an interview with <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;A lot of these innovations are starting to intersect with cities in disruptive ways some good some not so good, it&rsquo;s important for mayors to be part of that discussion in a big way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>From a mayor-exclusive track where they will learn methodologies to think like a futurist from leading minds, to meetups with SXSW attendees, Civic I/O hopes to funnel for municipal leaders the sort of collisions for which the conference is famous.</p>
<p>For the second year, Civic I/O will also host a civic tech pitch where mayors, technologists and entrepreneurs will hear from startups who are attempting to solve key challenges facing local governments and their communities.<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2017/03/mayoral-shark-tank-leads-seed-money-entrepreneurs/136275/"> </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2017/03/mayoral-shark-tank-leads-seed-money-entrepreneurs/136275/">Last year&rsquo;s winner</a>, RideAlong, had worked with the Seattle Police Department to develop a program&nbsp;that integrates with the 9-1-1 center to provide first responders with &ldquo;key information about people with mental illness at the scene&mdash;and then adds support for the responding official, ranging from tailored de-escalation techniques to personalized service referral options.&rdquo; This year&rsquo;s finalists include a broad range of start-ups engage and retain a diverse workforce, as well as a platform focused on police-community relations. The teams will have an opportunity at with prizes up to $10,000.</p>
<p>While mayors will be surrounded by tech, business and artistic leaders from across the world, they will also have the opportunity to learn from each other&rsquo;s solutions and challenges.</p>
<p>Being a mayor is not a profession most can relate to back at home, and in discussions with <em>Route Fifty </em>ahead of the conference, mayors planning to attend ticked off common policy issues they are facing and looking to discuss with their fellow colleagues: affordability, mobility, public safety, immigration, inclusion and diversity seem ready to take center stage.</p>
<p>They will also look abroad for cues on how to deal with some of the issues that they perhaps have less experience with domestically, as London Mayor Sadiq Khan joins the mayors at Civic I/O.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very excited about learning from him and listening to him,&rdquo; Cochran said. &ldquo;We are all discussing the different things that are happening in our nation, and with Brexit, and with the populism thrust here&mdash;even though you might not imagine it&mdash;we&rsquo;re starting to look at other countries to see how they are dealing with immigration, migration and tolerance and everything.&rdquo;</p>
<p>At a time of international political, policy and technological change, the confluence of entrepreneurs and visionaries at SXSW with mayors seems ripe ground for engaging in a serious dialogue on local solutions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Too many times in our political and civil discourse, people seem to be less focused on achieving results, and are focused instead &hellip; on scoring political points,&rdquo; Adler said. &ldquo;So I think that SXSW serves as a real juxtaposition&hellip; a noted statement of what we can achieve when everybody is trying to get things done.&rdquo;</p>Mitch HerckisWed, 07 Mar 2018 23:21:56 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/civic-io-mayors-summit-austin-texas/146460/Smart CitiesAustin, TexasShutterstock5G Preemption Is Cominghttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/5g-preemption-coming/146490/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/5g/medium.jpeg"
alt="Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, right, and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, far left, on Dec. 14 in Washington, D.C."
title="Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, right, and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, far left, on Dec. 14 in Washington, D.C."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</a> will vote on an <a href="https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0301/DOC-349528A1.pdf">order</a> at its <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2018/03/march-2018-open-commission-meeting">March 22 meeting</a> eliminating the need for federally mandated historic preservation and environmental reviews when deploying small cells, meaning states and localities without such rules will be out of luck.</p>
<p>By removing the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act from the equation, the FCC would pave the way for streamlined installation of 5G networks&mdash;<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/01/sacramento-verizon-5G-broadband/144916/">once the technology is realized</a>.</p>
<p>But proponents of local self-reliance see it as phase one in transferring the management of public rights of way and the leasing of access from counties and cities over to the wireless industry. Phase two would be the FCC&rsquo;s adoption of the <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/01/san-jose-mayor-sam-liccardo-fcc-resignation/145500/">industry-leaning Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee&rsquo;s recommendations</a> that local governments be allowed only 30 days to make permitting decisions and leases over and above the cost of the permitting process be limited.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Part of the problem that has created some of the discomfort has been the state laws and the result of that BDAC committee, which take away local rights,&rdquo; Deb Socia,&nbsp;executive director of&nbsp;<a href="http://nextcenturycities.org/">Next Century Cities</a>, said during a discussion at the <a href="http://www.naco.org/">National Association of Counties</a> legislative conference in the nation&#39;s capital on Saturday. &ldquo;Some of this legislation seems like a sledgehammer to kill a flea.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Next Century Cities advocates for local input and control, and points to local ordinances and agreements with wireless carriers that streamline infrastructure deployment without giving up either.</p>
<p>Still the wireless industry has managed to circumvent many such ordinances at the state level through the passage of preemptive laws.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Nobody&rsquo;s grandfathering you in,&rdquo; said Gerry Lederer, partner at the law firm Best Best &amp; Krieger. &ldquo;So win the battle at the state level, and then get to developing your ordinances.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Houston-based Crown Castle is the largest shared infrastructure and telecommunications provider in the U.S., and Government and External Affairs Manager Rebecca Hunter advocated a cooperative approach to partnering on deployments.</p>
<p>While the conversations might not always go well from a local standpoint, Hunter said, the industry still wants to work with states, counties and cities in spite of any FCC order.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s still a relationship with you at the local, municipal levels,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still infrastructure that&rsquo;s going to serve your community.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Lederer argued the industry can&rsquo;t support state legislation at the same time it wants to have those conversations because&mdash;particularly with the emphasis President Trump&rsquo;s infrastructure proposal places on public-private partnerships&mdash;local governments are seeing their ability to leverage ownership of rights of way slip away. Counties and cities need to be able to obtain fair compensation through leases as they enter P3s.</p>
<p>Instead local government has been painted as a barrier to wireless deployment in the industry&rsquo;s recent FCC and state legislative wins.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What we&rsquo;re seeing around the country is this false narrative,&rdquo; Lederer said. &ldquo;Allow us access to the rights of way and government property for reduced prices, and we will build out to rural America.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirWed, 07 Mar 2018 18:49:10 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/5g-preemption-coming/146490/InfrastructureFederal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, right, and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, far left, on Dec. 14 in Washington, D.C.Jacquelyn Martin / AP PhotoGas Tax Hike in an Election Year? It'll Be a Tough Sell in Congresshttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/gas-tax-infrastructure/146464/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/gas_tax/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON&nbsp;&mdash; Raising the federal gas tax to help pay for infrastructure will be no easy feat in Congress, particularly in an election year, top lawmakers from both parties on a House transportation committee acknowledged Wednesday.</p>
<p>Discussions about whether to raise the tax are simmering on Capitol Hill as lawmakers discuss an infrastructure blueprint President Trump put forward last month that calls for $200 billion of new spending but does not propose new revenues to cover the cost.</p>
<p>The Highway Trust Fund, meanwhile, has had its finances weakened in recent years by eroding fuel tax revenues. The fund is a primary federal account for covering road&nbsp;and transit costs and is funded mostly by revenues from taxes on gas and diesel.</p>
<p>It&#39;s not clear yet to what extent any legislation that emerges in the weeks or months ahead will mix the proposals Trump has put forward, with measures to address the trust fund.</p>
<p>The debate playing out about infrastructure, and how to pay for it, has implications for the dollars that flow from the federal government down to the state and local level&nbsp;to help fund projects.</p>
<p>&quot;Everybody wants to talk about gas tax,&quot; Rep. Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on highways and transit, told reporters.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The reality of trying to pass a gas tax&nbsp;in Congress right now is, you know, it&rsquo;s a pretty tough lift,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>If lawmakers are incapable of that lift, or some other step to raise revenues, Rep. Peter DeFazio, of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says it&#39;s&nbsp;a waste of&nbsp;time to push ahead with a major public works package.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t increase taxes, we&rsquo;re not having an infrastructure bill,&quot; DeFazio said.</p>
<p>He noted the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, has not held &quot;a single&nbsp;hearing&quot;&nbsp;to discuss infrastructure revenues or the trust fund.&nbsp;DeFazio charges that&nbsp;House Speaker Paul Ryan is&nbsp;&ldquo;is ideologically opposed to federal investment and increasing taxes, in any form,&quot; and that this poses a problem.</p>
<p>Ryan&#39;s&nbsp;views aside, Graves points out &ldquo;there are a lot of members out there that are just philosophically opposed&quot; to increasing the tax.</p>
<p>The federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon, in line with its 1993 level. The tax on diesel is 24.4 cents per gallon. Fuel taxes are not indexed to rise with inflation and&nbsp;have been undermined as vehicle mileage has improved. Electric vehicles pose another challenge for the viability of the tax.</p>
<p>Graves says he is a believer in&nbsp;mileage based fees as an alternative to the gas tax. But a state transportation official who testified before his subcommittee Wednesday&nbsp;said it will likely be a decade before such user&nbsp;charges can be widely adopted.&nbsp;Graves disagrees and said the fees could be imposed on commercial vehicles in the near-term.</p>
<p>Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,&nbsp;recognized that many lawmakers in both parties&nbsp;&quot;may&nbsp;not be too warm and fuzzy&quot; on the idea of a gas tax increase ahead of the November elections.</p>
<p>But he suggested, as he did last week, the&nbsp;&quot;lame duck&quot; session after the election could provide an opening for legislation&mdash;the idea being that action during that&nbsp;window could&nbsp;pose less political risk.&nbsp;Shuster has said he is not planning to seek reelection this year.</p>
<p>The chairman&nbsp;argues&nbsp;that 31 states raised their gas taxes in recent years and lawmakers in those places did&nbsp;not pay&nbsp;a heavy political price for doing so.&nbsp;&quot;I for one think it&#39;s time to do it,&quot; he said. &quot;The president has said he would support that.&quot;</p>
<p>Trump reportedly floated the idea last month of a 25-cent gas tax increase to lawmakers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I believe we will pay a political price if the trust fund runs out in October of 2020,&quot; Shuster added, referring to&nbsp;when legislation shoring up the trust fund with general fund transfers will expire.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Senate Democrats on Wednesday released a $1 trillion infrastructure plan of their own that calls for&nbsp;rolling back provisions in last year&#39;s&nbsp;GOP-led tax overhaul to fund public&nbsp;works.</p>
<p>The Democratic plan says it will target parts of the tax law that benefit wealthier Americans and corporations. For instance, restoring the top individual tax rate to 39.6 percent, from its new&nbsp;37 percent level and lifting the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from 21 percent.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss &quot;long-term funding for highways and transit programs.&quot;</p>
<p>Michael Lewis, executive director of the&nbsp;Colorado Department of Transportation, testified&nbsp;for the Western Road Use Charge Consortium, a group that&nbsp;serves as a clearinghouse for information about&nbsp;pay-by-mile systems that might one day replace the gas tax.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He told the committee&nbsp;&quot;we are not there today&quot; in terms of being able to&nbsp;fully implement a broad&nbsp;vehicle-mileage fee system and that the ability to do&nbsp;so is probably still about 10 years away.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&quot;If we&#39;re ever going to get to a road usage charge,&quot; Lewis said, &quot;we need a bridge to get there.&quot;</p>Bill LuciaWed, 07 Mar 2018 17:49:03 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/gas-tax-infrastructure/146464/InfrastructureShutterstockThe Ripple Effect of the West Virginia Teachers' Victoryhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-victory/146478/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/west_virginia/medium.jpeg"
alt="Teachers celebrate after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Senate Republicans announced they reached a tentative deal to end a statewide teachers&#39; strike by giving them 5 percent raises. "
title="Teachers celebrate after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Senate Republicans announced they reached a tentative deal to end a statewide teachers&#39; strike by giving them 5 percent raises. "
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>West Virginia lawmakers at last reached a deal on Tuesday to raise teachers&rsquo; salaries by 5 percent. The agreement&mdash;along with the prospect of policy solutions to the educators&rsquo; other demands&mdash;brought to a close a teachers&rsquo; strike that had kept K-12 classrooms across all of the state&rsquo;s 55 counties closed for nine school days. Even though the West Virginia walkout is over, however, observers suspect it has jump-started a national movement that could have lasting implications for country&rsquo;s schools.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s already evidence that the success of West Virginia&rsquo;s roughly 20,000 K-12 classroom teachers is intensifying educator unrest nationally: In Oklahoma, where the average teacher salary is even lower than that in West Virginia, educators&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-west-virginia-education/oklahoma-teachers-might-follow-west-virginia-in-strike-walk-outs-idUSKBN1GH0KH">are poised to stage a similar walkout</a>, potentially in early April, to demand higher pay from the state legislature. According to the&nbsp;<em>Los Angeles Times</em>, the Oklahoma Education Association on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-oklahoma-teachers-20180306-story.html">plans to unveil</a>&nbsp;a school-shutdown strategy; the teachers&rsquo; union said the vast majority of the 10,000 educators who responded to a survey supported shuttering campuses so they could strike. In Kentucky, a battle over educators&rsquo; pension benefits has raised the possibility of a teachers&rsquo; strike there, too. And other teachers&rsquo; unions throughout the country (and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WSWSMedia/status/971386633940557824">world</a>) have voiced their solidarity with their West Virginia counterparts through public statements,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&amp;vertical=news&amp;q=%2355strong&amp;src=typd">#55strong tweets</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wvns59news/status/970985256965853185?s=21">pizza donations</a>.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting support from teachers all over&mdash;Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma. ... These places are saying, &lsquo;We know that if they&rsquo;ve done it in West Virginia, we can do it here, too,&rsquo; so I think [this strike] is going to start spurring some action in other states,&rdquo; said Annette Jordan, a teacher at Hedgesville High School in Berkeley County.</p>
<p>The strike in West Virginia, which in 2016&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/2017_Rankings_and_Estimates_Report-FINAL-SECURED.pdf">ranked</a>&nbsp;48th in the nation for teacher pay, wasn&rsquo;t only aimed at securing higher salaries; it was aimed at raising awareness about the countless burdens teachers shoulder and at demonstrating that kids&rsquo; learning and longer-term outcomes suffer when educators are stretched too thin. &ldquo;Teachers in other places in the country are looking to West Virginia teachers because they are taking a stand and asking for a livable wage and for better benefits,&rdquo; Karla Hilliard, an English teacher at Spring Mills High in West Virginia&rsquo;s Berkeley County, told me last week when I visited the picket near her school. &ldquo;What teaching encompasses today [anywhere in the country] is so different than what it did 20, 25 years ago; with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/02/teaching-while-afraid/553931/">every continued mass shooting</a>, with the tragedy of Parkland, [Florida,] there&rsquo;s more recognition of ... all of the different parts and facets of our job.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As I&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/02/west-virginia-teachers-strike/554546/">reported</a>&nbsp;last week, teachers&rsquo; demand for a 5 percent pay increase was secondary relative to their calls for better health-care benefits through the state&rsquo;s beleaguered Public Employee Insurance Agency, or PEIA. Those demands were accompanied by concerns that the state is devaluing the teaching profession with legislation that would lower educator qualifications and eliminate seniority protections. In fact, despite an indication last Tuesday from governor Jim Justice that the strike would end after he agreed to the 5 percent pay raise, the state&rsquo;s Republican senators initially refused to sign off on the proposal, and teachers insisted they wouldn&rsquo;t back down without a stronger guarantee that their demands would be met. The walkout continued for another week.</p>
<p>The likelihood that the demands beyond better pay will be met remains unclear. For starters, an agreement hasn&rsquo;t yet been reached on PEIA. Justice, a Republican, has promised to convene a task force as early as this week to figure out a way to resuscitate the insurance agency, whose severe funding shortfalls&nbsp;<a href="http://wchstv.com/features/eyewitness-news-i-team-investigations/a-look-inside-what-happened-with-peia-in-west-virginia">have resulted in</a>&nbsp;rising co-pays and other health-care costs not only for public-school teachers but also for state employees across the board. Compounding the uncertainty around PEIA is teachers&rsquo; perhaps-deeper dissatisfaction with how much West Virginia&rsquo;s political and judicial branches value the quality of their work and in turn the long-term prospects for the state&rsquo;s youth&mdash;concerns that resonate with educators across the United States.</p>
<p>Joshua Weishart, an associate professor of law and policy at West Virginia University whose research centers on education law, believes that the strikes may represent a new dynamic in the fight over what right children have to an education. Historically, when courts have found that such a right existed&mdash;something that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-Constitutional-obligations-for-public-education-1.pdf">varies</a>&nbsp;state to state&mdash;they have ordered schools to undertake certain equitable and adequate financing measures, Weishart said. But after nearly five decades of litigation the judiciary was accused of overreach, and unequal funding (and desegregation) is still pervasive. The courts have since retreated from that responsibility, he continued, and judges today are more hesitant to order specific integration remedies or to stipulate how much money state legislatures should appropriate for education.</p>
<p>&ldquo;So what do the people do when the courts are reluctant to intervene and the other branches of government have failed them for so long?&rdquo; Weishart asked. &ldquo;They either quietly accept their fate or they publicly resist and demand change.&rdquo; The teachers in West Virginia&mdash;and potentially their counterparts in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and other states where educator grievances are nearing a tipping point&mdash;have taken the latter route. And as teachers&rsquo; relatively victorious outcome in West Virginia suggests, that route is proving to be fruitful.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Teachers make for strong advocates&mdash;perhaps better ones than lawyers,&rdquo; Weishart said. &ldquo;A political or social movement can oftentimes accomplish more than any lawsuit, and it can certainly do so more quickly.&rdquo; After all, he pointed out, some school-finance cases have dragged on for years and even decades before seeing results. &ldquo;What we have here is an opportunity for the people to vindicate the constitutional rights of children not in a court of law but in a political arena.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s debatable as to why exactly West Virginia was the state to precipitate this fledgling national teachers&rsquo; movement, but experts tend to agree it comprised, in the words of Paul Reville, a professor of education policy and administration at Harvard&rsquo;s Graduate School of Education, &ldquo;a perfect storm of factors.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For one, unlike in most other states, West Virginia doesn&rsquo;t allow for collective bargaining at the local level; the same is true of Oklahoma. When that limitation corresponds with a notably low salary, a statewide strike is more likely. Meanwhile, a sizable chunk of West Virginia&rsquo;s 55 counties are contiguous to other states, where average salaries are sometimes as much as $20,000 more than they are locally. That results in a double-whammy, contributing to an exodus of quality teachers to districts right across the borders, and making it difficult for West Virginia to attract qualified, experienced teachers to its own schools.</p>
<p>Educators in West Virginia have told me they worry about the impact this phenomenon has on the quality of children&rsquo;s learning and on the health of the state&rsquo;s economy; a struggle to retain and attract quality teachers translates into a struggle to uphold the quality of schools, which ultimately makes it hard to convince corporations to set up shop in the state and contribute to its tax base. That&rsquo;s in part because it&rsquo;ll suggest to those corporations that there aren&rsquo;t enough well-educated people in the state to fill the necessary positions and enough qualified teachers to teach employees&rsquo; children. &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t continue to support our teachers, they&rsquo;re going to continue to flee the state,&rdquo; Tony McDonald, a health-education teacher at Warm Springs Middle School in Morgan County and the president of the county&rsquo;s American Federation of Teachers chapter, told me last week as he was picketing. &ldquo;I&#39;m born and raised in West Virginia&mdash;I love this state through and through&mdash; but at some point [being able to financially support] my kids matters more than what I want.&rdquo; In a similar vein, educators feel that state policymakers underestimate the importance of the education system to efforts to stimulate the economy, pointing to the state&rsquo;s corporate tax cuts, which often result in less funding for schools.</p>
<p>As much as the demands of West Virginia teachers were about their own pay and benefits, the underlying message was about what teacher compensation means for the quality of the education being provided and, ultimately, the well-being of the state&rsquo;s kids. &ldquo;What teachers are told every day is &hellip;, &lsquo;This kid can&rsquo;t read but he has to read by the end of the year; figure it out,&rsquo; so we do. &lsquo;These kids are never going to pass this test but he has to pass this test,&rsquo; so figure it out and we do it. &lsquo;Well, there are only 25 books and you have 35 kids; figure it out,&rsquo; and so we do. So when [politicians] ... look at us and say, &lsquo;I&#39;m sorry, there&rsquo;s nothing we can do,&rsquo; that is not acceptable,&rdquo; said Jessica Salfia, an English teacher at Spring Mills High School. &ldquo;Because what we have done for the last dozens of years &mdash;the things that we have needed to do to make it work&mdash;we have made it work in our classrooms and they have got to make it work for us now.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The grievances expressed by West Virginia teachers like Salfia are emblematic of those felt by public-school educators across the country, many of whom have struggled for years with<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/the-ticking-clock-of-us-teacher-burnout/502253/">&nbsp;demanding and often growing workloads</a>&nbsp;despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-teacher-pay-gap-is-wider-than-ever-teachers-pay-continues-to-fall-further-behind-pay-of-comparable-workers/">relatively low pay</a>. Concerns about the government&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-war-on-public-schools/537903/">disinvestment in traditional public education</a>&nbsp;in favor of private and charter schools&mdash;which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/what-if-america-didnt-have-public-schools/552308/">have become more acute</a>&nbsp;since the appointment of the pro-school-choice Education Secretary Betsy DeVos&mdash;have helped fuel the uptick in teacher unrest. &ldquo;A lot of it is building up in teachers &hellip; and it&rsquo;s not just the uncertainty about whether we&rsquo;re going to shift now and invest in school-choice programs,&rdquo; Weishart said, alluding to speculation that lawmakers in &nbsp;West Virginia, which currently doesn&rsquo;t have a charter-school law, might introduce such legislation. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also now about whether we&rsquo;re going to arm them with weapons. &hellip; They live day by day now in crisis mode, and I think all of this is just starting to take its toll on teachers.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Harvard&rsquo;s Reville, who previously served as Massachusetts&rsquo;s education secretary, suggested that this pressure, combined with the feeling that they&rsquo;re not being heard, is starting to push things over the edge for K-12 educators. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s people in the field of education saying, &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t forget about us. We&rsquo;re still here; we&rsquo;re still doing the hard work of preparing the next generation so that you can have a functioning economy and democracy.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
<p>The West Virginia teachers&rsquo; strike may also be gaining national traction because it is proof that organized labor can still have clout despite political efforts to undermine such movements, Reville said, pointing to a forthcoming ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that&rsquo;s expected to outlaw mandatory public-sector union fees and therefore weaken such labor organizations. Unions elsewhere, including those representing educators and other public-sector workers, may find it inspiring &ldquo;that a group of teachers [across the state] came together largely on their own, stood up, took a position, and then held fast when they felt like they weren&rsquo;t receiving the proper support from state officials,&rdquo; Reville said.</p>
<p>In that sense, the West Virginia teachers&rsquo; strike is symbolically important, according to Reville: &ldquo;People will take faith in this&mdash;they will feel emboldened and empowered to act,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The fact that [West Virginia&rsquo;s teachers] made some headway and came out victorious, I think, is a real shot in the arm for the labor movement.&rdquo;</p>Alia Wong, The AtlanticWed, 07 Mar 2018 14:49:03 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-victory/146478/ManagementTeachers celebrate after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Senate Republicans announced they reached a tentative deal to end a statewide teachers' strike by giving them 5 percent raises. Robert Ray / AP PhotoAs Trump Moves to Erect Trade Barriers, ‘Foreign Trade Zones’ Aim to Take Them Downhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/trump-foreign-trade-zones/146458/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/intersate_70/medium.png"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/06/as-trump-moves-to-erect-trade-barriers-foreign-trade-zones-aim-to-take-them-down">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Sophie Quinton.</em></p>
<p>LIMON, Colo. &mdash; This tiny truck-stop town, 90 miles southeast of Denver and home to fewer than 2,000 people, is flanked on all sides by endless, undulating hills. Limon&rsquo;s busiest areas are its two interstate exits, where truckers and road-trippers pull over to grab gas or fast food.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s no major airport here, nor are there big companies that depend on international trade. Yet civil leaders believe they can boost the local economy by thinking big: Limon recently set up its own foreign trade zone, or FTZ, a designation that can help domestic and foreign-owned companies lower their customs duties and fees.</p>
<p>Hundreds of cities and counties have created foreign trade zones since the 1930s in a bid to attract and retain employers. As President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/04/news/economy/companies-respond-to-trump-tariffs/index.html">announces new tariffs</a>&nbsp;and threatens to scrap longtime free trade agreements, the zone program may attract more interest from companies and communities.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In a world where trade barriers increase, foreign trade zones become more valuable,&rdquo; said Matt Gold, a former U.S. trade negotiator and adjunct professor of international trade law at Fordham University School of Law in New York City.</p>
<p>But for many communities that have set up a zone recently, the designation has not amounted to much.</p>
<p>About half the 80 zones created in the past two decades didn&rsquo;t have a single company using them in 2016, according to a&nbsp;Stateline&nbsp;analysis of federal data. Nationwide, 195 zones are currently active, about two-thirds of the total zones created since the program began.</p>
<p>Although hundreds of thousands of people work in these zones, the program&rsquo;s impact on the economy isn&rsquo;t clear. While supporters say the zones help U.S.-based companies compete with international rivals, critics say the zones hurt domestic suppliers by making it easier for companies to source components from overseas.</p>
<p>The lack of evidence didn&rsquo;t stop Limon. &ldquo;We see this FTZ project as not only beneficial but a practical necessity,&rdquo; Mayor Julie Coonts wrote in support of Limon&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="http://ita-web.ita.doc.gov/FTZ/OFISLogin.nsf/0845a86a92f9c72b852575b7006200e4/8b44d8dd6e7d5d7285257d320044278d/$FILE/Doc.%20B-54-2014%20Application.pdf">zone application</a>&nbsp;to the federal Foreign-Trade Zones Board, which was approved in 2015. Without a zone, she wrote, Limon would be at a disadvantage compared to communities that already have one.</p>
<p>There are no real costs to having the designation, aside from the money spent on the staff time required to pull together and submit an application.</p>
<p>In tiny Limon, civic leaders are watching the headlines. No companies have officially joined the foreign trade zone so far. Hopefully, the zone will attract warehouses to the trucking corridor, said Troy McCue, executive director for the Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You have to buy into the long-term vision that it might be eight, 10 years before we see something, but we&rsquo;ll see it,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/07/sln_0306_graphic.png" />
<figcaption>(The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Uncertain Payoff</strong></p>
<p>The foreign trade zone program was created during the Great Depression to help companies compete with overseas rivals in an era of high tariffs. Trade barriers are much lower today, but the zones can still be cost savers for some companies&mdash;particularly automotive manufacturers, electronics manufacturers and oil refiners. And they might become more attractive if Trump&rsquo;s tariffs spark a trade war.</p>
<p>Foreign trade zones work by being a type of customs limbo: Foreign and domestic companies that import goods into a zone can delay paying duties until the goods leave the zone. Manufacturers that operate in a zone choose whether to pay duties on their imported components or on their final product, and don&rsquo;t have to pay duties on imported goods that are later re-exported.</p>
<p>Companies that rely on imports can realize big savings from the program. And companies that handle frequent, high-value shipments can also benefit, as zone users can streamline their paperwork and reduce customs fees.</p>
<p>Unlike free trade zones overseas, which usually have a geographic boundary near a port or city, U.S. foreign trade zones and subzones can be anywhere, and the geography doesn&rsquo;t have to be contiguous. A company that has foreign trade subzone status through Denver&rsquo;s zone, for example, has a facility in Pueblo, more than 100 miles away.</p>
<p>Supporters say that having a trade zone can help a community land a major employer, though it can take a while. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen time and time again where six, nine years down the road a huge manufacturer comes in and changes the lives of the whole community,&rdquo; said Craig Pool, co-founder of the Foreign-Trade Zone Corporation, a company based in Mobile, Alabama, that administers foreign trade zones and offers consulting services.</p>
<p>Having a foreign trade zone helped Chattanooga, Tennessee, land a Volkswagen plant in the 2008, for instance. Volkswagen only considered sites within foreign trade zones, said Steve Hiatt, director of business development for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.</p>
<p>When it applied to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board for permission to manufacture in the Chattanooga zone, Volkswagen said being there would cost $300,000 a year in inventory management and fees but would save $1.9 million a year in&nbsp;<a href="http://ita-web.ita.doc.gov/FTZ/OFISLogin.nsf/0845a86a92f9c72b852575b7006200e4/1bf4070f5399ad038525761f004495fe/$FILE/63125629.pdf/Volkswagen%20of%20America%20Application(7-13-09).pdf">reduced paperwork and customs charges</a>.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2011/mar/19/volkswagen-could-save-nearly-2-million-year-tariff/45301/">United Auto Workers union opposed the zone</a>&nbsp;application and argued that zone authority would hurt American car companies and domestic suppliers, according to the&nbsp;Chattanooga Times Free Press.</p>
<p>Today over 2,000 people make cars and sport utility vehicles at Chattanooga&rsquo;s Volkswagen plant. &ldquo;The utilization of the Foreign Trade Zone helps increase our products&rsquo; competitiveness in the U.S. and abroad,&rdquo; said Keith King, a spokesman at Volkswagen Chattanooga, in a statement.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s little research on whether foreign trade zones help or hurt the economy, or encourage companies to employ more workers than they otherwise would. Academic papers on the subject tend to present theoretical arguments about the zones rather than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/686218.pdf">hard evidence</a>, according to a 2017 Government Accountability Office review of the research.</p>
<p>The success of foreign trade zones may depend on community attributes beyond the mere existence of a zone, some zone managers say. Colorado relies less on exports than many other states. The cities of Denver, Colorado Springs and Limon all have zones, but only Denver&rsquo;s is active.</p>
<p>About six companies are approved to use Denver&rsquo;s zone, but fewer may be actively using it, said Abdul Sesay, the international business development representative for the city&rsquo;s Office of Economic Development.</p>
<p>Most companies that have joined the zone are not new to Denver or came to the area for another reason, he said, such as the qualities of the area workforce or its location. Zones are common enough&mdash;and easy enough to establish &mdash; that their presence doesn&rsquo;t drive corporate decisions, he said.</p>
<p>Colorado Springs&rsquo; experience shows that foreign trade zones don&rsquo;t insulate users from broader economic trends. Apple made computers in the Colorado Springs zone in the 1990s before shifting production overseas. Quantum Corporation made data storage products there in the 2000s before it outsourced.</p>
<p>Pool said some companies insist on setting up a facility in a foreign trade zone but then never apply to use the zone designation. From an economic development perspective, he said, a new company benefits the community even if it doesn&rsquo;t officially use the zone.</p>
<p><strong>Rural Communities Hold Out Hope</strong></p>
<p>Kicking back in one of Limon&rsquo;s fast-food restaurants on a recent day, McCue outlined the economic challenges faced by the rural community.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Limon can&rsquo;t be the next Parker,&rdquo; McCue said, naming a booming Denver suburb. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t do that because we don&rsquo;t have the water.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s so dry out on Colorado&rsquo;s eastern plains that Lincoln County likely can&rsquo;t support more than double, maybe triple, the 5,000-odd people who live in the county now, he said.</p>
<p>Towns in the area have always been small, and they&rsquo;re shrinking as farming jobs vanish. Their size puts limits on their growth: Limon doesn&rsquo;t have sufficient electricity, water or wastewater infrastructure to recruit many companies, McCue said.</p>
<p>Limon isn&rsquo;t the only rural community or small town to seek a foreign trade zone designation. In recent years counties have established zones in upstate New York, Mississippi and Vermont, as have economic development organizations in northwest Iowa and coastal Maine. Some of those zones are active, some are not.</p>
<p>No businesses have joined the zone that Brunswick, Maine, created in 2012, for instance. There are some international manufacturers in the college town, but they may be too small to take advantage of the zones, said Jeff Jordan, deputy director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s a real small operation, it&rsquo;s probably not worth it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Joe Kiely, Limon&rsquo;s foreign trade zone director, has received the application for the zone&rsquo;s first company. It&rsquo;s a manufacturer he declined to name that supplies parts to Vestas, a Danish wind turbine maker with four facilities in Denver&rsquo;s foreign trade zone. Unfortunately for Lincoln County, the supplier is based near Denver on the far western side of the five-county zone.</p>
<p>Kiely purposely drew the boundaries of Limon&rsquo;s zone to brush up against the Denver metropolitan area, reasoning that it made more sense to touch the state&rsquo;s largest city and coax users eastward than to plop a zone in the middle of Lincoln County, McCue said. Some county commissioners have mixed feelings about the strategy, which likely will mean many zone users are far away, he said.</p>
<p>Kiely said it cost about $35,000 in public funds for Limon to get the foreign trade zone designation. There was little opposition: While several members of Congress, local economic development groups and businesses lent letters of support to Limon&rsquo;s foreign trade zone application, no organizations filed comments against the proposal, according to the International Trade Administration, which oversees the Foreign-Trade Zones Board.</p>
<p>The long-term plan for Limon&rsquo;s zone is to attract warehousing and distribution companies to the county, with its cheap real estate and traffic-free highways, McCue said. He has spoken with a wind turbine company that&rsquo;s interested in using a foreign trade zone to store some equipment, for instance.</p>
<p>While there aren&rsquo;t any wind turbine makers in Lincoln County, there are wind farms all over the place. Truckers that stop in Limon can see rows of turbines lazily turning on the horizon.</p>
<p>The mixed record of Colorado&rsquo;s foreign trade zones hasn&rsquo;t stopped more communities in the state from trying to get in on the action. The city of Grand Junction and its surrounding counties in Western Colorado are so committed to the foreign trade zone idea that they&rsquo;re paying $1 million to establish a customs office at the small regional airport&mdash;a prerequisite for setting up a zone.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve watched the rest of the state boom, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cpr.org/news/story/grand-junction-aims-for-foreign-trade-to-boost-a-lagging-economy">we&rsquo;re still struggling</a>,&rdquo; Robin Brown, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, recently explained to Colorado Public Radio. Creating a foreign trade zone will make the region more attractive to manufacturers, she said.</p>Sophie Quinton, The Pew Charitable TrustsWed, 07 Mar 2018 09:10:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/trump-foreign-trade-zones/146458/ManagementShutterstockFeds Sue to Block California Laws Protecting Immigrants http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/sessions-lawsuit-california-immigration/146459/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/07/xavier_becerra/medium.jpg"
alt="California Attorney General Xavier Becerra"
title="California Attorney General Xavier Becerra"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against California seeking to overturn three state laws enacted last year that Trump administration officials contend unconstitutionally&nbsp;interfere&nbsp;with federal immigration enforcement activities.</p>
<p>State leaders in California had anticipated that the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, would be coming. It&rsquo;s the latest flashpoint in ongoing tensions between officials in the Golden State and the Trump administration on a variety of issues, including immigration and sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>As the <em>Los Angeles Times</em> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-california-immigration-20180306-story.html">reported</a> Tuesday:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The laws make it a crime for business owners to voluntarily help federal agents find and detain undocumented workers, prohibit local law enforcement from alerting immigration agents when detainees are released from custody, and create a state inspection program for federal immigration detention centers.</p>
<p>Administration officials, who briefed reporters before the suit was filed, said other states that are pursuing laws similar to California&#39;s are also likely to be targeted in court.</p>
<p>U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to speak before a meeting of the <a href="https://cpoa.org/">California Peace Officers Association</a> in Sacramento on Wednesday.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4403882/DOJ-v-California-Complaint-20180306.pdf">lawsuit</a>, which names California Gov. Jerry Brown and state Attorney General Xavier Becerra as defendants, argues that the laws in question &ldquo;reflect a deliberate effort by California to obstruct the United States&rsquo; enforcement of federal immigration law, to regulate private entities that seek to cooperate with federal authorities consistent with their obligations under federal law, and to impede consultation and communication between federal and state law enforcement officials.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Becerra, a Democrat, <a href="https://twitter.com/AGBecerra/status/971206438340177922">tweeted</a> on Tuesday night:</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">No matter what happens in Washington, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/California?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#California</a> will stay the course and enforce all our laws and protect all our people. That&rsquo;s how we keep our communities safe. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Immigration?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Immigration</a></p>
&mdash; Xavier Becerra (@AGBecerra) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGBecerra/status/971206438340177922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen this B-rated movie before, so I&rsquo;m not totally surprised,&rdquo; Becerra said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, according to <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/06/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-to-make-major-sanctuary-city-announcement-in-sacramento/"><em>The Mercury News</em></a>. &ldquo;The arguments that the administration is making . . . demonstrate there&rsquo;s nothing really new there that we aren&rsquo;t already familiar with.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Brown, in <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2018/03/06/governor-brown-issues-statement-on-u-s-attorney-generals-latest-political-stunt/">a statement released Tuesday night</a>, described the federal action as a stunt and said that at &ldquo;a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Democratic governor also highlighted his Oct. 5 signing statement upon approving <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB54">S.B. 54</a>, the California Values Act, which &ldquo;clearly spells out what California law does and doesn&rsquo;t do.&rdquo;</p>
<p>According to the signing statement:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This bill states that local authorities will not ask about immigration status during routine interactions. &nbsp;It also bans unconstitutional detainer requests and prohibits the commandeering of local officials to do the work of immigration agents. &nbsp;The bill further directs our Attorney General to promulgate model policies for local and state health, education, labor and judiciary officials to follow when they deal with immigration matters.</p>
<p>In enshrining these new protections, it is important to note what the bill does not do. &nbsp;This bill does not prevent or prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security from doing their own work in any way. &nbsp;They are free to use their own considerable resources to enforce federal immigration law in California. Moreover, the bill does not prohibit sheriffs from granting immigration authorities access to California jails to conduct routine interviews, nor does it prevent cooperation in deportation proceedings for anyone in state prison or for those in local jails for any of the hundreds of serious offenses listed in the TRUST Act.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>During remarks he made before the <a href="http://www.naag.org/">National Association of State Attorneys General </a>in late February, Sessions noted that legal actions taken by states and cities against the Trump administration have led to 20 nationwide injunctions, more than any other presidential administration. As <em>Route Fifty</em> reported, Sessions <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/sessions-presidential-powers-states/146265/">vowed to defend presidential powers</a> in court against those legal actions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I do recognize that our different chief executives and attorneys general have different priorities,&rdquo; Sessions said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re prioritizing crime and criminal justice enforcement.&rdquo;</p>Michael GrassWed, 07 Mar 2018 01:45:33 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/sessions-lawsuit-california-immigration/146459/ManagementCalifornia Attorney General Xavier BecerraRich Pedroncelli / AP PhotoSome of America’s Worst-Paid Teachers Give Their State a New Ultimatumhttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/oklahoma-teachers-strike/146457/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/oklahoma-school/medium.jpg"
alt="Yukon High School in Yukon, Oklahoma"
title="Yukon High School in Yukon, Oklahoma"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government stories that caught our attention &hellip; </em></p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC EDUCATION | </strong>Teachers in <strong>West Virginia</strong> ended their statewide strike on Tuesday after <strong>Gov. Jim Justice</strong> signed a bill that will give public educators and other state employees an average 5-percent pay increase. &ldquo;<strong>We have to move away from the idea that education is a necessary evil that just has to be funded</strong>,&rdquo; the governor said. Meanwhile in <strong>Oklahoma</strong>, home to some of <strong>the nation&rsquo;s worst-paid teachers</strong>, the <strong>Oklahoma Education Association</strong> gave an ultimatum to the state legislature: Act by <strong>April 23</strong> or &ldquo;<strong>face a full work stoppage</strong>.&rdquo; But the 5 percent pay increase that West Virginia teachers will be getting won&rsquo;t be enough to make up for the years Oklahoma teachers didn&#39;t see pay raises. &ldquo;<strong>It would take a $6,000 teacher pay raise right now just to make up the difference what they&#39;ve lost over the last 10 years</strong>,&rdquo; according to <strong>Katherine Bishop</strong>, the vice president of the Oklahoma Education Association. The labor action in West Virginia has also &ldquo;<strong>lit some fires</strong>&rdquo; among teachers in <strong>Kentucky,</strong>&nbsp;where the strike has been &ldquo;<strong>a subject of everyday water cooler conversation</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://wvmetronews.com/2018/03/06/justice-holds-news-conference-to-sign-pay-raise-bill/"><em>WV Metro News</em></a>; <a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/education/pay-raise-that-brings-west-virginia-walkout-to-an-end/article_d132430a-8afc-529e-aa69-2e1a2fe7faab.html"><em>Tulsa World</em></a>; <a href="http://kfor.com/2018/02/27/bureau-of-labor-statistics-oklahoma-had-lowest-average-teacher-salary-in-the-country/"><em>KFOR-TV</em></a>; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-06/could-west-virginia-s-wildcat-teachers-strike-spread"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>CITY HALLS | Megan Barry</strong>, the embattled mayor of <strong>Nashville, Tennessee</strong>, resigned on Tuesday as part of <strong>a plea deal with prosecutors</strong> after <strong>pleading guilty to felony theft charges</strong> related to her extramarital affair with a police officer assigned to her security detail. Vice Mayor <strong>David Briley</strong> was sworn in as her replacement. [<a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/03/06/nashville-mayor-megan-barry-expected-resign-press-conference-tuesday-morning/398440002/"><em>The Tennessean</em></a>]</p>
<p>A police union leader in <strong>Denver</strong> is calling on <strong>Mayor Michael Hancock</strong>, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment, to step down. [<a href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/police-union-calls-on-denver-mayor-michael-hancock-to-resign-amid-harassment-allegations"><em>KMGH-TV / The Denver Channel</em></a>]</p>
<p>Hundreds of students in <strong>Baltimore</strong> walked out of schools on Tuesday and <strong>marched on City Hall to</strong> <strong>protest gun violence</strong> and to honor the victims of the recent shooting massacre at a high school in <strong>Parkland, Florida</strong>. <strong>Mayor Catherine Pugh</strong> and<strong> Police Commissioner </strong><strong>Darryl De Sousa</strong> addressed the students, many who participated in a 17-minute &ldquo;lie in&rdquo; on a plaza outside City Hall. &quot;<strong>America needs to hear the voices of the young people of Baltimore</strong>,&quot; Pugh said. [<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-ci-student-walkout-20180306-story.html"><em>The Baltimore Sun</em></a>]</p>
<p>And in <strong>West Haven, Connecticut</strong>, municipal and state leaders gathered with local clergy outside City Hall on Tuesday to observe &ldquo;<strong>Black Balloon Day</strong>,&rdquo; meant to <strong>honor the victims of the opioid abuse crisis</strong>. [<a href="https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Black-balloons-at-West-Haven-City-Hall-signify-12732560.php"><em>New Haven Register</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>BORDER SECURITY | </strong><strong>New Mexico State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn</strong> posted a &ldquo;<strong>No Trespassing</strong>&rdquo; sign on Tuesday along a dirt road used by U.S. <strong>Border Patrol</strong> agents. Dunn is <strong>demanding that the federal government pay for accessing a one-mile stretch of border</strong> where a barrier was constructed on state trust lands. [<a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/1142070/state-land-commissioner-dunn-demands-feds-pay-for-right-of-way.html"><em>The Albuquerque Journal</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>STATE LEGISLATURES |</strong> After an emotional debate at the <strong>Hawaii State Capitol </strong>on Tuesday, state House lawmakers approved a bill that allow <strong>terminally ill patients will less than six months to live </strong>to &ldquo;<strong>request prescriptions for lethal doses of medication</strong>&rdquo; to end their life. The measure is expected to be approved by state Senate lawmakers. [<a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/03/06/breaking-news/medically-assisted-death-bill-passes-key-hurdle-in-state-legislature/"><em>Honolulu Star Advertiser</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>South Carolina</strong> state <strong>Sen. Marlon Kimpson</strong> said on Monday that if an effort to introduce <strong>changes to the state&rsquo;s constitution</strong> gains traction, he&rsquo;ll push for language to address <strong>reparations for African-Americans</strong>.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If the door is opened for a constitutional convention, last amended in 1895 to systematically disenfranchise African-Americans, I plan to introduce the subject of reparations for the descendants of slaves who built this state providing free labor. <a href="https://t.co/o06nZpGE3x">https://t.co/o06nZpGE3x</a></p>
&mdash; Sen. Marlon Kimpson (@KimpsonForSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/KimpsonForSC/status/970742233942183936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>[<a href="http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article203673294.html"><em>The State</em></a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/KimpsonForSC/status/970742233942183936"><em>@KimpsonForSC</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Rhode Island</strong>&rsquo;s state fire marshal was called to the State Capitol to &ldquo;<strong>assure the corridors remained open</strong>&rdquo; on Tuesday after hundreds of <strong>Second Amendment</strong> supporters swarmed on the <strong>Ocean State</strong>&rsquo;s seat of government. [<a href="http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180306/hundreds-rally-at-state-house-against-gun-control-legislation"><em>The Providence Journal</em></a>]</p>
<p>A resolution approved by the <strong>Idaho</strong> state Senate lawmakers could lead to the entirety of the Gem State being&nbsp;<strong>moved to a single time zone</strong>. Southern Idaho is currently on the <strong>Mountain Time Zone</strong> while northern part of the state is in the <strong>Pacific Time Zone</strong>. [<a href="http://boisestatepublicradio.org/post/single-time-zone-all-idaho-unanimously-approved-resolution-could-pave-way"><em>Boise State Public Radio</em></a>]</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/ambassador_bridge.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Ambassador Bridge in Detroit (Shutterstock)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>TRANSPORTATION |</strong> The <strong>D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals</strong> declined to revisit a case brought by the owner of the <strong>Ambassador Bridge</strong>, which&nbsp;links <strong>Detroit</strong> with <strong>Windsor, Ontario,&nbsp;</strong>who has been trying to stop the construction of the <strong>Gordie Howe Bridge</strong>, a new international crossing two miles downriver from the heavily-trafficked span built in 1929. [<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/06/appeals-court-detroit-bridge-ambassador-gordie-howe/400802002/"><em>Detroit Free Press</em></a>]</p>
<p>The <strong>League of American Bicyclists</strong> has given <strong>gold-level status</strong> to the <strong>District of Columbia</strong> for &ldquo;<strong>creating a safe and convenient biking environment</strong>.&rdquo; The nation&rsquo;s capital now has the highest-such rating of any large East Coast city. [<a href="https://ggwash.org/view/66778/gold-bike-friendly-community-dc"><em>Greater Greater Washington</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>PARKS AND RECREATION |</strong> A <strong>Silicon Valley</strong> tech billionaire who wants to close off public access to &ldquo;<strong>a secluded crescent-shaped stretch of sand and bluffs</strong>&rdquo; along the <strong>California</strong> coast could undo the <strong>California Coastal Act</strong>, a law that makes beach access a &ldquo;<strong>a fundamental right guaranteed to everyone,</strong>&rdquo; if the <strong>U.S. Supreme Court</strong> takes up <strong>Vinod Khosla</strong>&rsquo;s challenge of the act and rules in his favor. If the case makes it to the high court, &ldquo;<strong>it would put into question long-established land use procedures and any state&#39;s power to regulate development anywhere</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-martins-beach-supreme-court-20180306-story.html"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>WATER | </strong>As of March 1, <strong>Lake Superior</strong> was <strong>13 inches above normal</strong>, the <strong>second-highest water level on record </strong>for that date. If the current wet weather trend continues into the summer, the lake could lead to &ldquo;<strong>all-time record high levels for the lake by August or September</strong>,&rdquo; when lake levels are usually at their highest. [<a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/science-and-nature/4413520-lake-superior-second-highest-march-1-level-record"><em>Duluth News-Tribune</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassTue, 06 Mar 2018 23:54:35 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/oklahoma-teachers-strike/146457/FinanceYukon High School in Yukon, OklahomaShutterstockHomeland Security Wants Industry Input on Wearable Tech for First Responders http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/homeland-security-wants-industry-input-first-responders-wearable-tech/146456/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/firefighters_fdny/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The Homeland Security Department wants industry to weigh in on the agency&rsquo;s strategy for tethering cameras, sensors and other tech tools to first responders to boost their safety and effectiveness in the line of duty.</p>
<p>The DHS Science and Technology Directorate in February began asking for industry feedback on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/ngfr/handbook">Next Generation First Responder Integration Handbook</a>, a blueprint for connecting the array of devices used by rescue workers into a single wearable apparatus.</p>
<p>The guidance come as part of the agency&rsquo;s broader Next Generation First Responder initiative, which aims to keep firefighters, paramedics and other first responders better protected and connected with emerging technology.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Responders are often overburdened with data and stand-alone devices that may not communicate seamlessly with other devices to sufficiently aid in completing their mission,&rdquo; said Program Manager Norman Speicher. &ldquo;Responders need smarter technologies that increase their ability to focus on saving lives and protecting our communities.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p>
<p>The department&rsquo;s solution to the cumbersome technology toolkit is the Responder SmartHub, a network of sensors, cameras and communications devices all linked to a central control. The wearable control hub would connect to devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other networks and transmit data to external displays worn by responders as well as any command centers involved in rescue efforts.</p>
<p>The handbook includes minimum specifications and applications for each module&mdash;communications systems, sensors, input/output devices and the central hub. Modules are required to be interchangeable, easily removable and capable of running for at least half an hour without any external power source, according to the document.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Integrating new capabilities with existing technology investments is critical to adoption,&rdquo; S&amp;T wrote in the guidebook. &ldquo;Interoperability is therefore essential to make sure both new and legacy technologies can support first responder missions without distracting them from their operational priorities.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Using open standards and scalable systems, the &ldquo;plug and play&rdquo; system lets rescue workers pick and choose the tools they need for a given mission and connect them together with little more than a username and password. In other words, connecting first responders to their thermal sensors, radiation detectors and wearable displays would look a lot like hooking a phone up to a Bluetooth speaker.</p>
<p>The request for comment comes as DHS prepares for the Harris County Operational Experimentation,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2018/03/dhs-put-first-responder-tech-test/146377/">a five-day event</a>&nbsp;that will give groups a chance to prove their technology&rsquo;s worth in improving safety and effectiveness in a mock disaster situation. S&amp;T will allow industry to submit additional comments on the guidebook twice a year on a rolling basis, the agency said in a statement.</p>Jack Corrigan, NextgovTue, 06 Mar 2018 21:30:05 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/homeland-security-wants-industry-input-first-responders-wearable-tech/146456/Tech & DataShutterstockFEMA Wants Counties to Take Charge of Pre-Disaster Logisticshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/fema-brock-long-counties-disaster/146447/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/fort_bend_county_flood/medium.jpg"
alt="Cleanup begins in Houston suburb Riverstone after Hurricane Harvey and heavy floods."
title="Cleanup begins in Houston suburb Riverstone after Hurricane Harvey and heavy floods."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The Federal Emergency Management Agency&rsquo;s administrator urged county officials to arrange pre-event contracts for commodities ahead of disasters, instead of waiting for assistance that might not come.</p>
<p>Brock Long, speaking at the National Association of Counties legislative conference in the nation&rsquo;s capital on Tuesday, said FEMA&rsquo;s contracting processes during 2017&rsquo;s devastating hurricane and wildfire seasons were a &ldquo;huge success.&rdquo; The agency secured 1,973 contracts on top of 59 that were pre-event for water, meals ready to eat, debris removal, disaster cost recovery and other services.</p>
<p>But in the event communities are cut off by a serious earthquake that cripples infrastructure, Long said, they may need to provide life-saving resources for 48 to 72 hours before the feds can backfill.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just being honest that I&rsquo;m not so sure we can get to every community in a new major event from the standpoint of providing food and water very quickly,&rdquo; Long said. &ldquo;And if we fail on the logistics piece in a response, then your citizens never forgive you, and you&rsquo;re going to fail all the way through recovery.&rdquo;</p>
<p>FEMA is currently handling 21 open disasters in 14 different states with more expected thanks to back-to-back nor&rsquo;easter storms. The agency picks up a new event every three days, the administrator said.</p>
<p>Local emergency management must be properly staffed and disaster reserves funded, Long said, and once disaster strikes policies on processes like payroll must be maintained&mdash;lest the Office of Inspector General deobligates millions of dollars from a violating community.</p>
<p>FEMA currently has approximately 21,000 employees, more than 1,300 of them hired in Puerto Rico. The agency is already one of the largest employers on the island with plans to hire 500 more people, the administrator said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I believe that recruiting those who may have lost a job, those who are looking for employment and have been impacted by the disasters are some of the best people you can hire because they&rsquo;ll be the most dedicated to putting their communities back together in thoughtful ways,&rdquo; Long said. &ldquo;And what we&rsquo;ve got to be able to do is figure out how to retain those local hires and their experience in their communities once FEMA&rsquo;s assistance comes to an end.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirTue, 06 Mar 2018 16:00:48 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/fema-brock-long-counties-disaster/146447/Public SafetyCleanup begins in Houston suburb Riverstone after Hurricane Harvey and heavy floods.ShutterstockUtilities Are Paying Their Customers to Buy Electric Vehicleshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/utilities-are-paying-their-customers-buy-electric-vehicles/146443/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/electric_car/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Electricity utilities were never designed for a world in which electricity demand didn&rsquo;t go up forever.</p>
<p>For a century, that was fine. But after 2005, U.S. demand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/data/browser/#/?id=8-AEO2017&amp;region=0-0&amp;cases=ref2017&amp;start=2015&amp;end=2050&amp;f=A&amp;linechart=~ref2017-d120816a.56-8-AEO2017&amp;map=&amp;ctype=linechart&amp;sourcekey=0">leveled off</a>&nbsp;and, in some regions, began to decline. The Tennessee Valley Authority is now preparing for an unprecedented 13% drop in demand across the region it serves in seven states, <em>Vox</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/2/27/17052488/electricity-demand-utilities">reports</a>, the first sustained drop in the utility&rsquo;s 85-year history.</p>
<p>As customers generate their own power from renewable sources, efficiency measures spread, and the economy sheds industrial customers, electricity providers are&nbsp;<a href="http://www.swenergy.org/data/sites/1/media/documents/publications/documents/How_Leading_Utilities_Are_Embracing_EVs_Feb-2016.pdf">barreling toward bankruptcy</a>&nbsp;(pdf). Economic growth no longer guarantees higher consumption.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/atlas_ryqgIsodz@2x.png" />
<figcaption>(<a href="https://www.theatlas.com/charts/ryqgIsodz">via</a> Quartz)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Utilities scrambling to reinvent themselves are turning to electric vehicles. The transport sector may be the only major new source of electricity demand for developed economies.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-10-03/electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-utilities-can-charge-in">Bloomberg estimates</a>&nbsp;that electrifying the US light-duty fleet would add 774 terrawatt hours of demand to the grid, nearly the same as the entire US industrial sector today. Globally, EVs are expected to drive&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/3851_FoM-Power-and-utilities/DeloitteInsights_FoM-P&amp;U.pdf">electricity consumption up 300-fold by 2040</a>&nbsp;(pdf), to about 5% of total consumption.</p>
<p>Utilities have made a halting entrance, so far, to this brave new world. Charging infrastructure is still evolving and unevenly distributed. Until recently, utility regulators&nbsp;<a href="http://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20160913110134.pdf?Id=4b0556f3-425d-4469-8eb1-a105109511ec">hesitated to approve</a>&nbsp;investments in charging infrastructure, to avoid leaving ratepayers on the hook for underused infrastructure. (This began to change in 2014, when California reversed course and began reviewing what is now more than&nbsp;<a href="http://midwestenergynews.com/2017/10/27/study-utilities-should-get-in-the-drivers-seat-on-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/">$1 billion</a>&nbsp;in new charging projects.) Utilities must also convince customers to adopt variable pricing that encourages off-peak charging, and &ldquo;smart charging&rdquo; technologies to manage load by responding to utilities&rsquo; calls for more or less energy automatically.</p>
<p>Only&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/3851_FoM-Power-and-utilities/DeloitteInsights_FoM-P&amp;U.pdf">21% of utilities</a>&nbsp;(pdf) provide such EV equipment right now. More people must buy EVs as well&mdash;and while the sector is rising fast, EV sales account for just 1% of new cars.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/atlas_r1xbgusOz@2x.png" />
<figcaption>(<a href="https://www.theatlas.com/charts/r1xbgusOz">via</a> Quartz)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Utilities have made a halting entrance, so far, to this brave new world. Charging infrastructure is still evolving and unevenly distributed. Until recently, utility regulators&nbsp;<a href="http://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20160913110134.pdf?Id=4b0556f3-425d-4469-8eb1-a105109511ec">hesitated to approve</a>&nbsp;investments in charging infrastructure, to avoid leaving ratepayers on the hook for underused infrastructure. (This began to change in 2014, when California reversed course and began reviewing what is now more than&nbsp;<a href="http://midwestenergynews.com/2017/10/27/study-utilities-should-get-in-the-drivers-seat-on-electric-vehicle-infrastructure/">$1 billion</a>&nbsp;in new charging projects.) Utilities must also convince customers to adopt variable pricing that encourages off-peak charging, and &ldquo;smart charging&rdquo; technologies to manage load by responding to utilities&rsquo; calls for more or less energy automatically.</p>
<p>Only&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/3851_FoM-Power-and-utilities/DeloitteInsights_FoM-P&amp;U.pdf">21% of utilities</a>&nbsp;(pdf) provide such EV equipment right now. More people must buy EVs as well&mdash;and while the sector is rising fast, EV sales account for just 1% of new cars.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s a lot of money at stake. The cost of accommodating the surge of EVs will run into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/3851_FoM-Power-and-utilities/DeloitteInsights_FoM-P&amp;U.pdf">hundreds of billions of dollars globally by 2040</a>&nbsp;(pdf). Delaying will prove expensive as well. Even plugging a few EVs into a neighborhood grid without careful management could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fleetcarma.com/impact-growing-electric-vehicle-adoption-electric-utility-grids/">drastically shorten the life of equipment such as transformers</a>, costing thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>Yet the potential profits are even greater. In a world of falling electricity demand, utilities can now take billions of dollars in the transportation sector away from the fossil fuel industry. Politics, technology and economics are aligning to help them do that. &ldquo;[Utilities] all want to eat the oil industry&rsquo;s lunch,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/09/11/should-utilities-build-charging-stations-for-electric-cars">says&nbsp;</a>Max Baumhefner of the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council. &ldquo;So we&rsquo;re happy to show them the way to the buffet.&rdquo;</p>Michael J. Coren, QuartzTue, 06 Mar 2018 14:57:47 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/utilities-are-paying-their-customers-buy-electric-vehicles/146443/Tech & DataShutterstockHas Trump Intervened to Kill Gateway Funding? Chao: 'Yes!'http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/trump-gateway-chao/146434/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/penn_station_platform/medium.jpg"
alt="Penn Station in New York City"
title="Penn Station in New York City"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; President Trump has urged House Speaker Paul Ryan to block funding for a major project involving a rail tunnel in the New York City metro region, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao indicated on Tuesday.</p>
<p>But she later suggested lawmakers should confirm Trump&#39;s position with the White House. And a spokesperson for the secretary sought to downplay Chao&#39;s comments. Chao was pressed about the so-called Gateway project, which is actually a cluster of nine projects, during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Trump&#39;s recently unveiled infrastructure proposal.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a New York Democrat, questioned the secretary about a recent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-pushes-republicans-to-oppose-crucial-new-york-new-jersey-tunnel-project/2018/03/02/06987446-1e6c-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?utm_term=.461094204462" target="_blank">report in</a> <em><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-pushes-republicans-to-oppose-crucial-new-york-new-jersey-tunnel-project/2018/03/02/06987446-1e6c-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?utm_term=.461094204462" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> </em>that the president had appealed to Ryan to kibosh funding for Gateway, which has a total estimated cost of about <a href="https://www.enotrans.org/article/usdot-pulls-gateway-program-hudson-tunnel-cost-balloons-13b/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>.</p>
<p>Last year, House appropriators passed <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2017/07/us-house-appropriations-tiger-grants/139351/">legislation</a> for fiscal year 2018 that included a roughly $900 million carveout for the project. The Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rodney Frelinghuysen, hails from New Jersey.</p>
<p>So far during the 2018 budget cycle, which began last Oct. 1, the federal government has operated under stopgap funding measures.Lawmakers are now negotiating a long-term funding package ahead of a March 23 deadline, bringing the Gateway funding issue to the fore.</p>
<p>&quot;Is the president of the United States personally intervening with the speaker to kill this project?&quot; Maloney asked Chao.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Yes! The president is concerned about the viability of this project and the fact that New York and New Jersey have no skin in the game,&quot; she replied. &quot;They need to step up and bear their fair share.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;They are two of the richest states in the country,&quot; she said.</p>
<p>But Chao later added: &quot;If you want the president&#39;s stance, please go to the White House.&quot;</p>
<p>When Maloney asked Chao earlier in their exchange specifically if the report in <em>The Post</em> was true that Trump called on Ryan to block funding for Gateway in the forthcoming government spending package, she said in her response: &quot;It probably is.&quot;</p>
<p>Marianne McInerney, an assistant to the secretary and director of public affairs at the Transportation Department, told reporters after the hearing that the secretary is not in a position to independently verify conversations that took place between the president and Ryan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;No one has said this is a program that should be killed. This is not a project that should be killed,&quot; McInerney added. &quot;What we simply are stating is that it needs to have a funding equation.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Chao fielded a barrage of questions about Gateway from Maloney and New Jersey Democrats during the hearing. She said the project threatens to absorb an outsized amount of federal funds that would otherwise to go to projects elsewhere in&nbsp;the U.S.</p>
<p>There&#39;s ongoing controversy over the extent to which an agreement was reached under then-President Barack Obama&#39;s tenure for New York and New Jersey to share the mega-project&#39;s cost with the feds.</p>
<p>In December, the deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, K. Jane Williams, <a href="http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20171229/POLITICS/171229921/trump-administration-kills-gateway-tunnel-deal" target="_blank">sent a letter to the governors of New York and New Jersey</a>, declaring they&#39;d referenced a &quot;nonexistent &#39;50-50&#39; agreement&quot; for the project between the U.S. Department of Transportation and their two states.</p>
<p>Chao made a similar case on Tuesday.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There has never been an agreement,&rdquo; she said as she parried with Democratic lawmakers. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no documentation, there&rsquo;s no paperwork and, in fact, there&rsquo;s no pending application.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Another point of contention is how much money New York and New Jersey are offering to bring to the table, and whether dollars obtained through certain federal programs can be counted in that sum.</p>
<p>Part of the Gateway program involves building a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. Amtrak and New Jersey Transit commuter trains traveling along the busy corridor provide service to Pennsylvania Station in midtown Manhattan. Just the tunnel component of Gateway is expected to be about $11 billion.</p>
<p>The rail tunnels now in service were built in 1910 and were damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.</p>
<p>Along with the tunnel, there&#39;s a tunnel portal bridge within Gateway for which New York and New Jersey have been looking to Washington for federal aid.</p>
<p>Press offices for Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Phil Murphy of New Jersey, both Democrats, did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment about Gateway, or the episode in the committee hearing. Neither did a White House press staffer. The wrangling over Gateway predates Murphy&#39;s term, which began in January.</p>
<p>On Tuesday afternoon, following the House hearing, the Transportation Department arranged a conference call with reporters and a senior administration official who discussed the project.</p>
<p>The official said the main sticking points DOT has with Gateway&nbsp;have to do with funding, not the project itself.</p>
<p>They characterized the roughly $900 million in the House appropriations legislation as &quot;fundamentally,&quot; though not technically, an &quot;earmark.&quot; The official described as problematic the funding approach for Gateway, saying the&nbsp;Hudson tunnel plan relies on 50 percent federal grants and 50 percent federal loans.</p>
<p>Gateway proposals to date, they said,&nbsp;do &quot;not involve a substantial state, local or private contribution.&quot;</p>
<p>And the official said that&nbsp;New York and New Jersey had not submitted applications for two federal loan program that they&#39;ve suggested using as state matching funds on the project. These loans fall under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/programs-services/tifia" target="_blank">Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/programs-services/rrif" target="_blank">Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing</a> program.</p>
<p>Federal grant funds the states are hoping to secure for the project would flow&nbsp;through part of the Capital Investment Grants program, known as &quot;New Starts.&quot; As they are currently ranked, the Hudson tunnel and portal bridge projects are approximately in the bottom five of the 55 projects in DOT&rsquo;s Capital Investment Grants pipeline.</p>
<p>These ratings could change, the senior administration official said, if the funding plan for Gateway is revised.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is going to be a heated discussion,&quot; Chao said at one point Tuesday. &quot;New York and New Jersey have got to up their local share.&quot;</p>
<p><em>Correction: A version of this story posted briefly on Tuesday incorrectly stated the amount of the Gateway funds in FY 2018 House appropriations legislation as roughly $900 billion. The correct amount is roughly $900 million.</em></p>Bill LuciaTue, 06 Mar 2018 13:05:17 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/trump-gateway-chao/146434/InfrastructurePenn Station in New York CityShutterstockJails Play Key Role in Advancing County Health and Safety Goalshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/jails-play-key-role-advancing-county-health-and-safety-goals/146435/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/dade_county_corrections/medium.jpg"
alt="A prison guard at Dade County Correctional Facility in South Florida."
title="A prison guard at Dade County Correctional Facility in South Florida."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/jails-play-key-role-advancing-county-health-and-safety-goals/146435/">originally published</a> by The Pew Charitable Trusts&#39;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/states-fiscal-health">States&#39; Fiscal Health</a>&nbsp;initiative and was written by&nbsp;Maria Schiff and&nbsp;Frances McGaffey.</em></p>
<p>Every year, millions of people are booked into U.S. jails. The jurisdiction holding them&mdash;usually a county&mdash;has a constitutional mandate to provide necessary health care while individuals are incarcerated. Yet to date, little has been known about how jails arrange this care.</p>
<p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2018/01/jails-inadvertent-health-care-providers">new research</a>&nbsp;from The Pew Charitable Trusts, jails fulfill this challenging obligation in a multitude of ways that reflect the diversity of counties in terms of size, resources, needs, and aims. They vary in the types of care offered, how it is paid for, and when it is routinely available, among other aspects. Understanding the range of practices and options available to jails as they design health care programs can help counties determine whether their programs can better meet their public health and safety needs.</p>
<p>According to Jonathan Thompson, the executive director of the National Sheriffs&rsquo; Association, treatment for mental illness is&nbsp;<a href="https://therivardreport.com/mental-health-no-1-issue-facing-texas-u-s-jails/">the most pressing issue</a>&nbsp;facing sheriffs across the country. In fact, people in jail are&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1350">more likely</a>&nbsp;than the general population to have chronic and infectious diseases, mental illnesses, and substance use disorders. Short lengths of stay, ranging from a few hours to an average of 23 days, along with unpredictable releases and bookings, discourage development of care strategies for many people in jail or even the comprehensive screening such as might be required for accurately diagnosing a specific mental illness.</p>
<p>Connecting people leaving jails to available health or social services could improve health outcomes, decrease mortality rates, and save money. For example, recently released individuals&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9905-4">with HIV</a>&nbsp;who stay connected to primary care go to emergency departments less frequently than those without such a connection. They also exhibit a longer timespan between release from jail and their first emergency room visit. For individuals with behavioral health disorders, such connections could play a role in reducing recidivism rates and the overrepresentation of these individuals in correctional institutions. One financing vehicle for such services is Medicaid coverage, but another valuable resource is the Veterans Administration health system for those who qualify. As the country&rsquo;s largest health care system it provides care to individuals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but can be especially useful for those not eligible for their state&rsquo;s Medicaid program.</p>
<p>Jail health care is not just a criminal justice issue. Counties that invest effectively in jail health care can improve outcomes for their whole communities. After the San Francisco County jail introduced screening and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea, a nearby neighborhood clinic&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31815ed7c8">reported seeing fewer cases</a>&nbsp;of these diseases among young women.</p>
<p>Despite the potential for care continuity services to further a broad range of county goals, from public health to public safety, it can be difficult for jails to offer them. Beyond the short stays, jails often lack the capacity to provide substantive programming. And even if they do offer such services, they need the cooperation and participation of health and social service organizations to which people leaving jails are likely to be referred.</p>
<p>Over the past few years, a range of initiatives have emerged as counties consider innovative approaches to running their jails, including diverting ill individuals from jail in favor of more appropriate treatment. The&nbsp;<a href="https://stepuptogether.org/">Stepping Up Initiative</a>&nbsp;provides a forum for sharing best practices for reducing the number of people with mental illness in jails, while the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.safetyandjusticechallenge.org/">MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge</a>&nbsp;provides funding to counties to help them develop and implement solutions to safely reduce their overall jail populations. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.naco.org/resources/programs-and-services/data-driven-justice">Data-Driven Justice Initiative</a>&nbsp;brings communities together to identify the processes and policy frameworks needed to reduce the cycle of incarceration among individuals with complex health needs who repeatedly enter jails, emergency rooms, shelters, and other public systems.</p>
<p>Yet, when considering participation in any of these initiatives&mdash;or even concurrent with participating&mdash;policymakers can benefit from a better understanding of how specific jail health care and release programs are furthering public health and safety goals. And because jurisdictions are so varied, additional research is needed to understand which counties are achieving the greatest success at meeting these universal goals and how best to adapt their programs to meet localities&rsquo; needs and resources.</p>Maria Schiff and Frances McGaffey, The Pew Charitable TrustsTue, 06 Mar 2018 12:43:02 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/jails-play-key-role-advancing-county-health-and-safety-goals/146435/Public SafetyA prison guard at Dade County Correctional Facility in South Florida.ShutterstockReconnecting a Community With a River That Once Brought Disasterhttp://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/minot-north-dakota-flood-resiliency-souris-river/146422/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/minot_skate_river/medium.jpg"
alt="An ice-skating trail was created along one of the Souris River&#39;s so-called dead loops."
title="An ice-skating trail was created along one of the Souris River&#39;s so-called dead loops."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>When the city of Minot, North Dakota first started rising along the banks of the Souris River in the 1880s with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad, the original settlers probably weren&rsquo;t thinking too much about flooding. Among North American rivers, the Souris isn&rsquo;t particularly big and doesn&#39;t seem all that threatening, but don&rsquo;t underestimate the power of its waters. Sometimes called the Mouse River, it starts in Saskatchewan and dips south across the U.S.-Canadian border into North Dakota before winding through Minot, which is the state&rsquo;s fourth most-populous city and home to nearly 50,000 residents.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d85036.97586446411!2d-101.34073506491052!3d48.23732118199654!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x52deb78ae5ce7f0d%3A0xbcc590331b734416!2sMinot%2C+ND!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1520305175531" frameborder="0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d85036.97586446411!2d-101.34073506491052!3d48.23732118199654!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x52deb78ae5ce7f0d%3A0xbcc590331b734416!2sMinot%2C+ND!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1520305175531"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p>While much of Minot&rsquo;s downtown area sits safely above the floodplain, neighborhoods of single-family homes and businesses developed in low-lying areas adjacent to the river and a handful of the Souris&rsquo; former meandering bends, so-called &ldquo;dead loops&rdquo; that were cut off from the&nbsp;main channel. Portions of the river&rsquo;s route through the city were lined with levees to keep the Souris contained within its banks&nbsp;following major flooding in 1969.</p>
<p>But those flood protection efforts from an earlier generation were, however, no match for a record-setting springtime inundation that lasted many weeks and peaked that June. The Souris overtopped its levees, prompted evacuations, displaced 12,000 residents and <a href="https://www.minotnd.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1848">damaged&nbsp;or destroyed&nbsp;4,100 homes in Minot</a> neighborhoods near the river and its dead loops.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/minot_flooding_2011.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Souris River flooded neighborhoods in Minot, North Dakota in June 2011. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP File Photo)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That includes the neighborhood of Eastwood Park, where Minot Alderman Shannon Straight grew up. During a visit to Minot in September 2016, Straight gave <em>Route Fifty</em> a tour of the areas impacted by the flooding, including the street near one of the dead loops where he grew up. While the Souris may have been reshaped by civil engineers, the dead loops that remained are ever-present reminders of where the river used to go and the risks that the Souris floodplain poses to neighborhoods that were built on it.</p>
<p>Since the 2011 disaster, which caused hundreds of millions in damages, federal, state and local officials have been busy envisioning how to create <a href="https://www.mouseriverplan.com/urban">a more flood-resilient city</a>, including <a href="http://cdbg.minotnd.org/pdf/rehab/notice%20for%20website%20replacement%20housing4.pdf">buying out vulnerable low-lying properties</a>, building stronger levees and allowing the river more room to flood to reduce pressure on the Souris&rsquo; main channel during high-water events.</p>
<p>While those physical flood risk mitigation measures are similar to what&rsquo;s found in many resiliency playbooks, there&rsquo;s been a parallel volunteer-driven effort underway in recent years to strengthen the community in other ways so it can learn to live alongside a river that will periodically bring high water.</p>
<p>Many in the community, including Straight and Mayor Chuck Barney, have rallied behind <a href="http://friendsofthesouris.com/">Friends of the Souris</a>, a group that promotes the river as an asset for Minot, not something to be feared. That work has been supported by <a href="https://citiesofservice.org/">Cities of Service</a>, a non-profit organization funded in part by the Bloomberg Philanthropies that&#39;s designed to assist communities leverage volunteers, foster social resilience and build a stronger and engaged community in the process.</p>
<p>Last year, Friends of the Souris released a survey of the community to gauge attitudes of Minot residents about the river that runs through their city. <a href="https://theminotvoice.com/minot-news/resident-perception-of-souris-river-less-than-favorable-17763/">Only 33 percent of respondents viewed the river in a positive light</a>, as <em>The Minot Voice </em>reported last June.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The river is a sleeping giant, and dangerous,&rdquo; one respondent said in survey comments.</p>
<p>Straight, who previously worked as an <a href="https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorpsvista">AmeriCorps VISTA</a> member before returning to his hometown, along with Friends of the Souris envision using the river to enhance parks and recreational opportunities in the Minot area. While that includes more traditional uses like riverside trails, it also involves activating the dead loops, transforming them from forgotten and neglected water courses that are sometimes <a href="http://friendsofthesouris.com/2016/04/whats-in-your-dead-loop/">used for illegal dumping</a>, into assets valued by the community.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/minot_river_cleanup.jpg" />
<figcaption>During a river clean-up event last year. (Courtesy Cities of Service)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite the local community&rsquo;s unease with the Souris, the survey indicated that a majority of the respondents would enjoy greater access to the river, including canoeing and kayaking.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/minot_dead_loop_kayaker_.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kayakers explore the Souris River during a river cleanup last spring. (Courtesy Cities of Service)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Previous Friends of the Souris volunteer events focused on the dead loops have removed tons of trash and debris from the waterways and adjacent banks.</p>
<p>This winter, Friends of the Souris worked with various community stakeholders to create an approximately <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheSouris/videos/1583766475050767/">2-mile-long ice-skating track</a> using one of the river&rsquo;s dead loops, outfitting a small vehicle with plows to create a smooth skating surface.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ackerman-estvold.com/">Ackerman Estvold</a>, a local architectural and civil engineering firm, surveyed the area and helped Friends of Souris install stairways to make the river more accessible. Materials for the stairways were donated by <a href="http://www.dakotafence.com/">Dakota Fence</a>. The <a href="http://www.centerforcommunitygiving.com/">Minot Area Community Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.ucbnd.bank/">United Community Bank</a> provided financial support for the Feb. 10 Skate the River event with additional assistance from the Minot Park District.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/minot_skate_river_stairway.jpg" />
<figcaption>One of the stairways recently constructed and installed along the Souris River, with an ice-skating trail on a frozen dead loop. (Courtesy Friends of the Souris / Facebook)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In April of last year, a community <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1780653415597198/">Ride the River bike outing</a> along one portion of the Souris was held as an educational outreach opportunity, which local officials and Friends of the Souris used to explain aspects a forthcoming flood protection project. The event was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheSouris/videos/1339550546139029/">streamed live on Facebook</a>.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/06/minot_ride_river.JPG" />
<figcaption>During the Ride the River bike outing along the Souris River in Minot, North Dakota (Courtesy Cities of Service)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>&ldquo;People were asking some really insightful questions,&rdquo; said Andrianna Betts, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working on resiliency efforts in Minot. The more community members know about the flood mitigation efforts in and around the city, the easier it will be to heal the long-term scars that the 2011 flooding left.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That initial goal&mdash;reconnecting the community to the river&mdash;is happening in these meaningful and beautiful ways. It&rsquo;s exciting from a sustainability standpoint,&rdquo; according to Karen Dahl, communications director for Cities of Service.</p>Michael GrassTue, 06 Mar 2018 00:49:33 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/smart-cities/2018/03/minot-north-dakota-flood-resiliency-souris-river/146422/Smart CitiesAn ice-skating trail was created along one of the Souris River's so-called dead loops.Courtesy of Friends of the Souris / Facebook‘Desperate’ Illinois City Looks to Sell Assets After Big Pension Surprisehttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/alton-illinois-pension-water-system/146421/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/06/alton_illinois/medium.jpg"
alt="Alton, Illinois"
title="Alton, Illinois"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><strong>PENSIONS | </strong>In a restructuring of local police and firefighter pension debt<strong>, </strong>city officials in <strong>Alton, Illinois</strong>, located on the Mississippi River north of <strong>St. Louis</strong>, discovered that they owe &ldquo;<strong>more than $20 million than previously thought</strong>,&rdquo; bringing the total to <strong>$113 million</strong>. And that doesn&rsquo;t include the costs of meeting <strong>Environmental Protection Agency </strong>mandates to separate Alton&rsquo;s sewer and stormwater systems in the next six years, even though local officials have known about the requirement since 1994. Because of the difficult pension situation, &ldquo;<strong>the city is growing desperate for both additional revenue and solutions.</strong>&rdquo; Late last month, city officials gave the green light to start negotiations to sell the city&rsquo;s water and sewer system. <strong>Illinois American Water</strong>, which serves 1.2 million people, has expressed interest in purchasing the municipal infrastructure assets and would assume responsibility for the sewer separation and other upgrades. [<a href="https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/selling-the-sewer-system-permanent-pension-fix-or-kicking-the-can-down-the-road-27068.cfm"><em>RiverBender</em></a>; <a href="https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Alton-Council-OKs-sewer-treatment-plant-sale-12718396.php"><em>Alton Telegraph</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>MEDICAID | </strong>The federal <strong>Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and Services </strong>has approved a waiver that would allow <strong>Arkansas</strong> to <strong>implement work requirements</strong> for those in the state who are recipients of the state&rsquo;s <strong>private-option Medicaid expansion program</strong>. Similar waivers have been already approved for <strong>Indiana</strong> and <strong>Kentucky</strong>. The Arkansas proposal, however, would not impact residents enrolled in the traditional Medicaid program. [<a href="http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/mar/05/work-requirement-okd-arkansas-medicaid-expansion-p/"><em>ArkansasOnline</em></a>; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cms-issues-split-decision-on-arkansas-medicaid-waiver/2018/03/05/7468294e-20d3-11e8-946c-9420060cb7bd_story.html?utm_term=.9f3f8e8cf054"><em>The Washington Post</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>GUN VIOLENCE | </strong>The <strong>Florida Senate</strong> on Monday narrowly passed a bill that would fund security programs for schools, attempt to keep mentally ill individuals from obtaining guns and would launch<strong> a first in the nation, but optional, program to arm school officials</strong>. The bill moves to the Florida House, which would need to approve it and get it to <strong>Gov. Rick Scott</strong>&rsquo;s desk before the legislative session ends March 9. &quot;<strong>This is an opt-in program &hellip; It&#39;s dependent on the school district and the sheriff to determine if it participates in the program</strong>,&quot; according to state <strong>Sen. Rene Garcia</strong>. [<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/03/05/breaking-new-florida-senate-plan-arms-school-staff-but-not-teachers/"><em>The Buzz / Tampa Bay Times</em></a>]</p>
<p>In <strong>Georgia</strong>, the chairman of the <strong>Fulton County Commission</strong>, <strong>Robb Pitts</strong>, is calling for <strong>a non-binding resolution</strong> calling on the state&rsquo;s legislature to &ldquo;limit or prohibit the sale of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks, keep the mentally ill from buying guns and create a universal database of individuals who are prohibited from buying guns.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/fulton-county-chair-calls-for-sales-limits-guns/xpOgwHPzqBeyQus0M3DVzJ/"><em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>CITY HALLS |</strong> <strong>Allentown, Pennsylvania Mayor Ed Pawlowski</strong>, who was convicted by a jury this past week on 47 corruption-related charges, has been asking his supporters to write letters to <strong>Judge Juan R. Sanchez</strong> asking him to be lenient during sentencing. &ldquo;<strong>What we truly need right now is for people to write a letter to the judge on my behalf. I would like to get as many as possible (hopefully thousands) to him over the next several weeks</strong>,&rdquo; the mayor said in a text message to supporters. Prosecutors and others in Allentown have urged Pawlowski to resign. [<a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/fbi/mc-nws-pawlowski-activity-post-verdict-20180303-story.html"><em>The Morning Call</em></a>; <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/pressure-mounts-for-convicted-pa-mayor-to-resign/"><em>Courthouse News</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>HOMELESSNESS |</strong> Former <strong>Houston Mayor Annise Parker</strong> has been in <strong>San Diego County, California</strong> and met with local officials there to share insights on <strong>how her city significantly reduced its homeless population</strong>, including using &ldquo;<strong>a regional approach and aligning efforts among agencies and nonprofits</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/sd-me-houston-mayor-20180305-story.html"><em>The San Diego Union Tribune</em></a>]</p>
<p>The rate of homelessness in <strong>Lexington, Kentucky</strong> has reached <strong>its lowest level in 12 years</strong>. But there are <strong>still nearly 700 homeless individuals</strong> in Lexington, according to the 2018 homelessness count. &ldquo;Our work continues until everyone in Lexington has access to opportunities, support services, and safe, decent, affordable housing,&rdquo; according to <strong>Polly Ruddick</strong>, director of the <strong>Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention</strong> for the <strong>Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government</strong>. [<a href="http://www.lex18.com/story/37648965/city-homelessness-declines-to-lowest-level-in-12-years"><em>WLEX-TV / LEX 18</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC SAFETY | </strong>Officials in <strong>Portland, Oregon</strong> closed off a popular downtown plaza, <strong>O&rsquo;Bryant Square</strong>, due to <strong>ongoing concerns with the structural stability of an underground parking garage </strong>that was closed last fall. The square is located adjacent to the city&rsquo;s largest cluster of food carts. &quot;We will be working on a long-term plan for the park in the future,&quot; according to a parks spokesman. [<a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/03/portland_closing_obryant_squar.html#incart_river_home_pop"><em>The Oregonian / OregonLive</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>DROUGHT |</strong> In a recently sent letter, <strong>Utah Gov. Gary Herbert</strong> has asked faith leaders in his state to <strong>pray for snow after an especially dry winter </strong>where the mountains have only half of the normal snowpack. &quot;Because the health of our waterways, our wetlands, our agriculture, and our forests in particular depend on an abundant snowpack and because none of us can afford to witness the destruction that comes with wildfire, I am again reaching out to you and your faith communities with an invitation to unite in prayer,&quot; Herbert wrote. [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2018/03/03/utahs-governor-asks-people-to-pray-for-snow/"><em>KSTU-TV / Fox13</em></a>]</p>
<p>The good news in <strong>California</strong>, where there&rsquo;ve been worries about a weak snowpack this winter: Last week&rsquo;s winter storms have <strong>dumped major amounts of snow</strong> in the <strong>Sierra Nevada</strong>, which in some places saw <strong>7 feet of new snow</strong>. The bad news: The Golden State <strong>needs to see two more similar storms</strong> in order to reach an average winter snowpack.</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A side-by-side comparison of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SierraNevada?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SierraNevada</a> snowpack today, vs. before the storms. With additional storm systems inbound, we&#39;re trending in the right direction! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cawx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cawx</a> <a href="https://t.co/FMU4U78doM">pic.twitter.com/FMU4U78doM</a></p>
&mdash; NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/970815413687914501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>[<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article203573099.html"><em>The Sacramento Bee</em></a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/970815413687914501"><em>@NWSSacramento</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>TRAFFIC SAFETY | </strong>A low-clearance bridge in <strong>Delaware, Ohio</strong> has been <strong>hit by truck drivers at least 14 times since 2015</strong>, despite there being <strong>10 warning signs</strong>&mdash;some with flashing lights&mdash;posted along the approaches to the troublesome span. &ldquo;<strong>When a truck hits the bridge, the cost to the city is $2,000 to $5,000 for cleanup, extra police, and so on</strong>,&rdquo; according to a city spokesman [<a href="https://www.constructionequipment.com/low-bridge-creates-expensive-headache-trucks-city"><em>Construction Equipment</em></a>]</p>
<p>Motorists in <strong>Wisconsin</strong> have <strong>a major lead-foot problem</strong> with &ldquo;[t]hree of the top 10 offenses in 2017 were for varying degrees of speeding, leading to nearly 160,000 convictions.&rdquo; In 2017, there were <strong>more than 88,000 convictions for driving 11-19 mph over the posted speed limit</strong>. [<a href="https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2018/03/04/lead-foot-wisconsin-drivers-not-deterred-speed-limits/387744002/"><em>Post Crescent</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassMon, 05 Mar 2018 21:10:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/alton-illinois-pension-water-system/146421/InfrastructureAlton, IllinoisShutterstockHow Agencies Can Effectively Implement Artificial Intelligencehttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/how-agencies-can-effectively-implement-artificial-intelligence/146418/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/05/robot_brain/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>As the public sector adopts new technologies to improve operations and service delivery, artificial intelligence and machine learning offer agencies new potential for improving interaction with citizens and making better decisions. But implementing AI well requires a focus on sound technology management and attention to critical details.</p>
<p>This week, the IBM Center for The Business of Government released a new report to help agencies understand effective practices in adopting AI and cognitive technologies:&nbsp;<a href="http://businessofgovernment.org/report/delivering-artificial-intelligence-government-challenges-and-opportunities">Delivering Artificial Intelligence in Government: Challenges and Opportunities</a>,&nbsp;by Kevin Desouza, ASU Foundation Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University.</p>
<p>Desouza reviews recent progress made in applying artificial intelligence to public sector service provision, drawing on lessons learned from commercial experience as well as burgeoning cognitive computing activity by federal, state, local, and international governments. The report draws on this real-world experience to set forth a framework for agencies to plan, develop, and deploy AI systems. The author then puts forward a set of challenges for government leaders and innovators in this space, along with opportunities for agencies to act in addressing these challenges. Finally, the report outlines a maturity model for agencies to use in guiding their journey forward in applying AI to improve mission performance.</p>
<p>Desouza frames these opportunities in three broad areas: technology and data, workforce, and risk management. In each area, agency leaders will find key factors they can apply to increase the likelihood that emerging AI and cognitive applications will be implemented successfully. These factors include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Upgrading IT infrastructure to support AI systems, leveraging cloud computing technologies.</li>
<li>Identifying data-intensive applications that can benefit from AI, and establishing data governance to take advantage of the benefits that AI can deliver.</li>
<li>Enabling a skilled public sector workforce to use AI, including through agile implementations and redesigned work processes.</li>
<li>Developing AI in a manner that augments human decisionmaking and follows ethical imperatives around transparency, security, auditability, and citizen involvement.</li>
<li>Working in partnership with government, academia, and industry.</li>
</ul>
<p>As the author concludes: &ldquo;To enable successful use of AI in government, leaders must design and implement governance and policy that promotes a skilled workforce that collaborates with academia and the private sector, risk management frameworks, secure systems, and modern technologies.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This work follows on our recent report with the Partnership for Public Service that identifies case studies of government success in this space,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessofgovernment.org/blog/business-government/future-has-begun-using-artificial-intelligence-transform-government">The Future Has Begun: Using Artificial Intelligence to Transform Government</a>.</p>
<p>We hope agencies will find the practical and actionable steps offered in this report to be useful in capitalizing on the potential for AI to improve government.</p>Dan Chenok, Special to Route FiftyMon, 05 Mar 2018 20:42:22 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/how-agencies-can-effectively-implement-artificial-intelligence/146418/Tech & DataShutterstockTreating Disaster Response Like a Trauma Patienthttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/counties-states-disaster-response/146415/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/05/counties/medium.jpeg"
alt="Ellicott City, Maryland after historic 2016 flash flooding."
title="Ellicott City, Maryland after historic 2016 flash flooding."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Following a disaster, counties&nbsp;should immediately involve state government to expedite recovery, emergency management experts said Monday.</p>
<p>During a disaster recovery panel discussion at the <a href="http://www.naco.org/">National Association of Counties</a>&nbsp;annual legislative conference in the nation&rsquo;s capital, <a href="http://mema.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx">Maryland Emergency Management Agency</a> Executive Director Russ Strickland explained the Old Line State has 26 local emergency managers appointed by the governor serving as on-the-ground representatives.</p>
<p>When Ellicott City, located near Baltimore, flooded in 2016 after seeing 6 inches of rain in less than two hours, Gov. Larry Hogan arrived within 12 hours to sign an emergency declaration.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We begin recovery the minute we start response, and we treat it very much from the perspective just like you treat a trauma patient,&rdquo; Strickland said. &ldquo;You have that 60 golden minutes to get them into a trauma center.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said his jurisdiction still calls the governor, regardless of whether an emergency will wind up requiring a declaration, because the state executive&rsquo;s presence frees local officials up to address resident needs.</p>
<p>MEMA set up a tent city of 60 to 70 people to start agile disaster risk reduction and consequence management, while Kittleman drove through neighborhoods on a Gator utility vehicle every evening to field resident requests like Dumpster drop-offs.</p>
<p>In Monroe County, Florida, which includes the Keys, the jurisdiction asked for state help quickly when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, said Julie Beller,&nbsp;who served as Florida&#39;s state floodplain management coordinator during the disaster.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Mitigation is so important,&rdquo; Beller said.</p>
<p>Strickland recommended counties design their mitigation plans as if the community was rebuilding for resilience from scratch.</p>
<p>He encouraged county officials to invest in mitigation with the understanding &ldquo;we won&rsquo;t ever see the fruits of it in our lifetime&rdquo; but that it will benefit future generations.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The challenge with mitigation is that we don&rsquo;t have a culture of preparedness,&rdquo; Strickland said. &ldquo;It is the long-term answer, but it&rsquo;s just that; it&rsquo;s long term.</p>Dave NyczepirMon, 05 Mar 2018 18:51:11 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/counties-states-disaster-response/146415/ManagementEllicott City, Maryland after historic 2016 flash flooding.MediaPunch via AP PhotoWays Cities Can Avoid Paying to Translate the Same Sentences Repeatedlyhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/city-governments-translation-costs/146409/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/05/multilingual_sign/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Sixty-six percent of a city&rsquo;s translation projects are duplications. That&rsquo;s the figure translation provider SDL gives in its<a href="https://www.sdl.com/software-and-services/translation-software/research/"> Translation Technology Insights Report</a>. Take &quot;you have the right to an interpreter,&rdquo; for example&mdash;one phrase used by multiple departments. The words never change, but every time they appear on a poster or a form, the city pays to translate them again and again.</p>
<p>But what if this translation could be reused? When purchasing is consolidated across departments, it can, allowing cities big and small to see the savings. The outcome is the same: Managed translation keeps costs down and constituent outreach up. But how it happens varies. Philadelphia, for instance, uses technology: The nation&rsquo;s sixth most-populous city is currently onboarding software that remembers and reuses previous translation. But Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a population of more than 65,000 residents, takes a personal touch.</p>
<p>For those using tech, there&rsquo;s translation memory&nbsp;software&mdash;often referred to as TM&mdash;that compares new words for translation against those already complete. TM is different from Google Translate, which essentially translates new sentences from scratch, using words translated by anyone who&rsquo;s ever used the program. Translation memory only analyzes one client&rsquo;s translations at a time, then makes suggestions for human translators to use or reject. Phrases are scored for similarity by percent: 100 percent means the exact same words have been translated in the exact same context before.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You have the right to an interpreter,&rdquo; for example, would be a 100 percent match across all new files. But &ldquo;you have the right to an attorney&rdquo; would be a lower match: The context changed. The higher the percentage, the deeper the discount. Some vendors even translate 100 percent matches for free. Translation memories don&rsquo;t talk to each other, though, so if departments purchase separately, city-wide savings are lost.</p>
<p>This used to be the case in Philadelphia. But in May 2016, Mayor Jim Kenney signed<a href="http://www.phila.gov/ExecutiveOrders/Executive%20Orders/EO0716.pdf"> Executive Order 7-16</a>, an addendum to the city&rsquo;s Home Rule Charter, requiring all offices and agencies to develop a translation plan.</p>
<p>Katelyn O&rsquo;Brien, a talent manager at Globo, the translation provider Philadelphia selected from the order&rsquo;s resulting RFP, told <em>Route Fifty</em> in an email that before, &ldquo;city departments handled translation needs independent of one another&rdquo; and didn&rsquo;t have &ldquo;any useful TM, either within a department or across departments.&rdquo;</p>
<p>To manage its costs, Philadelphia<a href="https://beta.phila.gov/press-releases/mayor/city-of-philadelphia-launches-language-access-philly/"> created</a> the Language Access Philly program, which strives to oversee translation citywide. Results came quickly.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The development of a centralized TM produced an immediate, positive impact on the quality and consistency of the city&rsquo;s translations, while reducing project costs and turnaround times,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Brien said.</p>
<p>These savings came just as costs had begun to rise. Language access program manager Orlando Almonte said that in the last fiscal year, Philadelphia faced a 10 percent increase in translation usage. This year, the city is on track for a 5 to 10 percent hike.</p>
<p>Less than a year after the program&rsquo;s creation, Almonte said 10 departments are currently streamlined, &ldquo;including public safety departments like police, fire, [licenses and inspections], prisons, and the office of emergency management.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Law enforcement were first to strategically manage translation in Bowling Green as well. Over three years, the Bowling Green Police Department worked to improve translation systems internally. Their work showed the rest of the city how a well-run program would work.</p>
<p>Mayor Bruce Wilkerson and the Board of Commissioners then developed a city-wide plan, creating a full-time international communities coordinator, under the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.</p>
<p>Leyda Becker, who serves in that role, told <em>Route Fifty</em> there&rsquo;s no rogue or ad hoc purchasing in the city whatsoever: &ldquo;Anything that needs to be contracted out, it goes through my office.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Unlike Philadelphia, though, Bowling Green didn&rsquo;t use tech to make this happen. Instead, the city took a human approach, training every employee across all departments in language access. &ldquo;It took two years,&rdquo; she said, to reach more than 700 people, but the work mattered: &ldquo;We have the same expectations from city employees no matter where they are.&rdquo; For those hired after training was complete, the city added a module on translation to its month-one orientation.</p>
<p>Why? Becker mentioned Bowling Green&rsquo;s substantial foreign-born population, stressing how important it is for &ldquo;all services within the city [to] provide accessibility&rdquo;&mdash;16.9 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, compared to only 8.93 percent in Philadelphia. Over the last decade, Bowling Green&rsquo;s immigrant population has seen such explosive growth that presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/2017/02/bowling-green-mayor-responds-massacre-misstatement/135143/">cited the town</a> in her fictional Bowling Green Massacre last year.</p>
<p>To save costs, bilingual staff translate Spanish in-house, a move Philadelphia&rsquo;s Almonte is also considering. Fifty-eight other languages are outsourced to a translation agency, which Becker said does not provide translation memory discounts. Without this tech, the key to keeping spending under control is approachability: &ldquo;Even though [translation] is based out of one department, it&rsquo;s still functioning as a support to all the departments,&rdquo; Becker said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still a relatively small city. Pretty much everyone&rsquo;s going to know that if they need anything related to language access, they need to contact me.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Granted, the person-by-person model is nearly impossible for large municipal governments, but that&rsquo;s not to say that once consolidation is complete, Philadelphia couldn&rsquo;t include a note on translation in its employee training, too.</p>
<p>Smaller towns can teach big lessons: &ldquo;We have been leading the way on how to provide language access across the city and across the state. Even our counterparts like Lexington, Owensboro, and Louisville don&rsquo;t seem to have the same resources across the board,&rdquo; Becker said of other cities in Kentucky. Bowling Green&rsquo;s example proves that no matter what financial or technical resources a city has, there&rsquo;s no excuse for not effectively managing translation costs.</p>
<p><em>Editor&#39;s Note: This article was updated to clarify information about&nbsp;city of Philadelphia&#39;s 10-percent increase in translation usage.</em></p>Terena Bell, Special to Route FiftyMon, 05 Mar 2018 15:22:04 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/city-governments-translation-costs/146409/Tech & DataShutterstockNobody Knows How Many Kids Get Caught With Guns in School. Here’s Why.http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/nobody-knows-how-many-kids-get-caught-guns-school-heres-why/146398/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/05/newtown_conn/medium.jpg"
alt="A memorial in Newtown, Connecticut following the 2014 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School."
title="A memorial in Newtown, Connecticut following the 2014 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/nobody-knows-how-many-kids-get-caught-guns-school-heres-why/146398/">o</a><a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/05/nobody-knows-how-many-kids-get-caught-with-guns-in-school">riginally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, and was written by Jen Fifield.</em></p>
<p>One day after a Florida teenager walked into his former high school and carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, at least seven other teens across the country walked into school with a gun.</p>
<p>The firearms were seized without harm in Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Missouri and Texas, according to local news reports. Such incidents fuel the widespread fear that students often bring guns to school. But there&rsquo;s no way to tell if this is true. There is no good data.</p>
<p>Because of lax reporting by schools and lax oversight by state and federal authorities &mdash; and despite federal law &mdash; it&rsquo;s nearly impossible to say just how many students get caught taking firearms into public schools each year.</p>
<p>When a student is caught with a gun at school, the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act requires schools to report the incident to the school district, which is supposed to pass the information along to state education officials, who then are supposed to send it to the U.S. Department of Education. The idea behind the reporting requirement is to make it possible to detect trends and inform policymakers as they seek to address the problem.</p>
<p>But much of the information on the Education Department&rsquo;s website is either outdated or inconsistent with state data. The department did not follow up to multiple questions and requests from&nbsp;Stateline&nbsp;for new and more comprehensive data.</p>
<p>In the past few years, school and state officials have not properly tracked deadly school shootings in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.azfamily.com/story/35476187/holes-in-state-data-suggest-glendale-high-school-shooting-never-happened">Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2014/05/17/school-safety-data-offered-to-colorado-parents-unreliable/">Colorado</a>, and firearm-related school incidents in&nbsp;<a href="http://wgme.com/features/good-day-maine/maine-department-of-education-struggles-to-accurately-compile-school-weapons-data">Maine</a>. State education officials there say that while they collect statistics, they don&rsquo;t enforce the reporting requirement.</p>
<p>In Maine, Democratic state Sen. Rebecca Millett said she wants to require the state&rsquo;s Education Department to submit gun incident information to the Legislature each year, so lawmakers can ensure that the state is tracking the information accurately and can use it to make policy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need to understand the nature of what we are facing,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p><strong>&lsquo;Grossly Underestimated&rsquo;</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_231.65.asp">U.S. students were caught with a firearm at school</a>&nbsp;at least 1,576 times during the 2015-16 school year, according to a federal database with information collected from states through the Gun-Free Schools Act.</p>
<p>This data is incomplete, though. The federal numbers are lower than the numbers recorded by at least five states &mdash; Iowa, New Jersey, Maine, Maryland and Washington &mdash; in recent years, according to a&nbsp;Stateline&nbsp;review.</p>
<p>In Iowa, 15 firearm incidents were recorded in 2015-16. Only one shows up in the federal database. Iowa education officials did not respond to a follow-up question about why the state and federal data are different.</p>
<p>In Washington state, the federal data shows a decline from 162 firearm incidents in 2009-10 to 13 in 2015-16. But the state count shows 128 incidents in 2015-16, about the same as 2009-10, when there were 130 incidents. State education officials confirmed the state data is accurate.</p>
<p>Mike Donlin, program supervisor for the school safety center at the Washington department of education, said he wasn&rsquo;t sure why the numbers were different.</p>
<p>Federal and state data grossly underestimate threats to schools, said Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, an Ohio-based school safety consulting firm. With no nationally enforced reporting system, he said, schools&rsquo; reporting is a &ldquo;goodwill effort.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There are a few carrots and absolutely no sticks for local school districts to give data to the states, Trump said.</p>
<p>The best effort to track guns in schools might come at the local level, Trump said, but some school administrators might be reluctant. &ldquo;There are some that believe that, &lsquo;No data, no problem, but if there is data, we have to do something about it.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p>
<p>School administrators may try to keep firearm incidents under wraps, Trump said, to protect the school&rsquo;s image, or their own.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If their school comes in with numbers higher than a school on the other side of town,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;those administrators may seem to be better at keeping the school safe, when in reality, they may have a less-safe school, they are just not honestly reporting.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act also requires students who bring guns to school be expelled for at least a year in most cases, but some gun advocates say it isn&rsquo;t the federal government&rsquo;s place to make such judgments.</p>
<p>States and local school systems should be the ones to decide whether students may bring guns to school, said Michael Hammond, legislative counsel at Gun Owners of America.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I grew up in the 60s in an inner city high school in Kansas City, I was in ROTC,&rdquo; Hammond said. &ldquo;I was issued an M-1 semiautomatic rifle when I was 13 and would walk back and forth with it on the playground. No one thought I&rsquo;d shoot up the school.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>&lsquo;Quite Old&rsquo; Data</strong></p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Education used to publish much more detailed annual reports, including how many times students were caught with guns, the related punishment, and the rate at which school systems in each state recorded the information. But the agency&rsquo;s most recent comprehensive report covers the 2006-7 school year.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Unfortunately, the latest data we have is quite old,&rdquo; said Jo Ann Webb, a department spokeswoman.</p>
<p>In Arizona, the Department of Education hasn&rsquo;t felt confident about its data for years, said Stefan Swiat, a department spokesman. The agency still receives information from schools, but it&rsquo;s not complete.</p>
<p>The last year the Arizona school system knew it was getting comprehensive information from school districts was 2009, he said. That&rsquo;s because, for a few years, the state had federal funding for a school crime-tracking program that also allowed the state to require local school systems to submit the data.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s crucial for the state to have comprehensive data so it can identify trends and have smart policy discussions, said Arizona state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, a Democrat.</p>
<p>Hernandez, who is also a board member at his local school district in Tucson, said his school district tracks firearms seized at schools, but that other districts track it differently.</p>
<p>Unlike other states, in Washington, state officials are fairly confident they are accurately tracking how many times students bring guns to school, said Donlin, with the state&rsquo;s school safety center. State officials comb through the statistics looking for trends and spikes, such as when copycats come out after school shootings. They then work with school communities and law enforcement to mitigate future events.</p>
<p><strong>&lsquo;Watch Me Be Cool Today&rsquo;</strong></p>
<p>High school students clearly are bringing guns to schools at a much higher rate than is characterized by the federal data, a national survey shows. About 4 percent of high school&nbsp;<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ind_14.asp">students say they brought a weapon to school</a>&nbsp;at least once in the past month.</p>
<p>Many times, school resource officers, sworn officers who work in schools, are the first to hear about guns on school grounds, said Mac Hardy, director of operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers.</p>
<p>Students hear about rumors and social media posts and report it to the officers, Hardy said. Many times, students will bring a gun to school if they are being bullied, to appear tough to their tormentor. Most of the time, the gun is not loaded, or it&rsquo;s a replica gun, such as an airsoft gun, he said, but it still creates a dangerous situation.</p>
<p>In Washington state, Donlin said sometimes students bring firearms to school for innocent reasons; perhaps they went hunting and forgot to take the gun out of the car. But there has been a recent uptick in students bringing guns for more troublesome reasons.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sometimes it&rsquo;s real,&rdquo; he said of the threats. &ldquo;Sometimes it&rsquo;s, &lsquo;Watch me be cool today,&rsquo; or &lsquo;I have a test tomorrow, it&rsquo;s a good time to pull out my gun trick.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p>
<p>School communities need to act on these incidents, he said.</p>
<p>&ldquo; &lsquo;See something say something&rsquo; is a simple thing to say, but it can be really effective,&rdquo; Donlin said. &ldquo;And the next step is: Do something &mdash; don&rsquo;t just let it slip by.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>Jen Fifield, The Pew Charitable TrustsMon, 05 Mar 2018 12:04:24 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/nobody-knows-how-many-kids-get-caught-guns-school-heres-why/146398/Public SafetyA memorial in Newtown, Connecticut following the 2014 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.ShutterstockA Small Town Kept Walmart Out. Now It Faces Amazon.http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/small-town-kept-walmart-out-now-it-faces-amazon/146391/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/05/walmart/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>GREENFIELD, Mass.&mdash;Al Norman has been fighting to keep Walmart and other big-box retailers out of small towns like this one for 25 years. He&rsquo;s been successful in Greenfield, his hometown and the site of his first battle with Walmart, and in dozens of other towns across the country&mdash;victories he documents on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sprawl-busters.com/">his website Sprawl-Busters</a>, an &ldquo;International Clearinghouse on Big Box Anti-Sprawl Information.&rdquo; Partly because of Norman&rsquo;s efforts to keep out such stores, Greenfield still has a Main Street with dozens of businesses, including a bookstore, a record store, and Wilson&rsquo;s, one of the last independently owned department stores in the country.</p>
<p>But Norman and business owners in Greenfield are noticing that the Main Street stores are now struggling in the face of another force that&rsquo;s become more and more powerful in recent years: e-commerce. Many customers who kept shopping in Greenfield&rsquo;s downtown because Walmart was too far away are now turning to Amazon and other websites that offer free and fast shipping for basic needs, sapping business away from local stores that had survived for so long. Facing competition from a company as enormous as Amazon, some local stores are having trouble staying open.</p>
<p>I twice stopped by Wilson&rsquo;s, the department store, to try to meet the manager, and saw no shoppers inside the store the entire time I was there. (Wilson&rsquo;s did not respond to multiple interview requests for this story.) And Home Furnishing Co., a 100-year-old store in downtown Greenfield, closed last year, and then Magical Child, a toy store on the brink of closing, partnered with a local bookstore, World Eye Bookshop, to remain open, consolidating into one storefront.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you were going to pick a place years ago that would still support small businesses, and shop downtown first, I would have said Greenfield would be that place,&rdquo; Jessica Mullins, the owner of World Eye, told me. But her store&rsquo;s sales were down significantly last year. Several customers who were once reliable shoppers now come in and find out about new books and games, take a picture of them, and then buy the products online, where they&rsquo;re cheaper. It&rsquo;s a practice called &ldquo;showrooming,&rdquo; and while the executives running big legacy retailers are the ones who most publicly lament it, it can hurt smaller shops too. &ldquo;People are getting on Amazon and they&rsquo;re not getting off,&rdquo; Mullins said.</p>
<p>Greenfield and other towns across New England are learning that while they might have been able to keep out big-box stores through zoning changes and old-fashioned advocacy, there&rsquo;s not much they can do about consumers&rsquo; shift to e-commerce. They can&rsquo;t physically keep out e-commerce stores&mdash;which don&rsquo;t have a physical presence in towns that residents could push back against&mdash;and they certainly can&rsquo;t restrict residents&rsquo; internet access. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one thing for me to try and fight over land use in the town I live in, or in somebody else&#39;s town,&rdquo; Norman told me, over lunch in a diner on Greenfield&rsquo;s Main Street. &ldquo;But e-shopping creates a real problem for activists, because on some level, shopping online is a choice people make, and it&rsquo;s hard to intrude yourself in that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Shoppers are, as Norman well knows, increasingly turning to Amazon and other e-commerce sites. Online sales represented about 13 percent of American retail sales in 2017, according to Forrester, a research firm, which projects that number will grow to 17 percent by 2022. And about one-third of online purchases are made through Amazon, Forrester says&mdash;83 percent of American adults who use the internet (that is to say, nearly all of them) made a purchase from Amazon in 2016. This has translated to a decline in shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. Last year, more chain-store locations closed&nbsp;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/26/news/companies/retail-toughest-year-store-closings/index.html">than in any previous year</a>.</p>
<p>The dominance of e-commerce has affected Main Streets too: Around 90 percent of independent retailers said that Amazon was having a negative impact on their business, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017_SurveyFindings_ChangingRetailLandscape.pdf">2017 survey</a>&nbsp;of more than 850 such businesses. Between 2006 and 2015, the number of retail firms with fewer than 10 employees fell by 9 percent, according to census data.</p>
<p>Of course, there&rsquo;s a reason Amazon and other e-commerce sites are so difficult for small businesses to compete with: The convenience of online shopping is unmatched. Amazon&rsquo;s rise is proof that as much as some consumers may want to support nearby businesses, in a sense there&rsquo;s nothing more local than shopping from their living-room couch.</p>
<p>And, as the company pointed out when I contacted it about this article, Amazon does create some opportunities for independent businesses as well. More than 140,000 small and medium-sized businesses each sold more than $100,000 in goods on Amazon last year, according to the company. &ldquo;We are empowering so many retailers&mdash;many of them small businesses and main street businesses&mdash;to reach customers, not just in the US, but around the world,&rdquo; an Amazon spokesman, Erik Farleigh, wrote to me in an email.</p>
<p>Roundabout Books, a small business a mile from Greenfield&rsquo;s Main Street, is an example of a shop that has been able to grow because of e-commerce. Raymond Neal, a former schoolteacher, opened the store six years ago, and most of his business is used books. Online retail&mdash;including selling through Amazon&mdash;has helped him keep the doors open. (He bemoans the fees he has to pay Amazon for the privilege, however.) He estimates that half of his revenue comes from online sales; the other half is a mix of in-store transactions and pop-up sales he does in busy locations like downtown Boston. &ldquo;I go where the customers are,&rdquo; he told me. But his Greenfield location produces only a small part of his revenues&mdash;if he makes $50 in a day in his store, it&rsquo;s a good day, he said.</p>
<p>The shift of retail away from brick-and-mortar stores to online ones represents a fundamental change in the American economy, one that has big repercussions for communities like Greenfield. The average American spends nearly $15,000 a year on retail shopping,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/retail/index.html">according to census data</a>. If that money is going to companies based far away, the local economy may suffer, because less money is being kept in the community. Money spent at an independent business generates four times the direct local economic benefit than money spent at a chain store&mdash;in terms of employee pay, local charitable giving, and employee spending&mdash;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amiba.net/resources/studies-recommended-reading/local-premium/">a</a><a href="https://www.amiba.net/resources/studies-recommended-reading/local-premium/">n a</a><a href="https://www.amiba.net/resources/studies-recommended-reading/local-premium/">nalysis</a>&nbsp;done by Civic Economics, a research firm that studies independent businesses. Local business owners will often spend the money they earn from their business nearby, at restaurants, bars, and other retail stores. Also, as I&rsquo;ve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/05/retail-sales-tax-revenue/527697/">written before</a>, the decline of local retail also has major implications for cities and towns&rsquo; ability to raise revenues through sales taxes.</p>
<p>There are other, less tangible, changes that occur when brick-and-mortar businesses disappear. As Main Streets become sparser, there will be fewer of the spontaneous, community-building interactions that take place when residents run into each other on the sidewalk or at a store. People who live in the same town might start to meet less often in person as they shop more from their couches and work more from their dining-room tables. Relatedly, small businesses are often the linchpins of a community&mdash;they sponsor softball teams and cookouts, charity auctions and parade floats. Bob Nelson, the owner of Nelson Ace Hardware in Barre, Vermont, another town struggling to revitalize its Main Street, said he gets &ldquo;at least one request a day&rdquo; to sponsor a local cause, whether it be the local Rotary Club or Lion&rsquo;s Club or softball team. But who will be left to sponsor softball teams or floats in parades if there is no more small-town retail?</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s possible that as e-commerce companies continue to encroach on brick-and-mortar stores, they will support communities in the same way that other small businesses traditionally have. Amazon pointed out that it has sponsored, among other events, holiday festivals in Jeffersonville, Kentucky, a Pride parade in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a summer reading program in San Antonio. But going to Amazon for donations is fundamentally different from walking into a store and asking the owner, based on a personal relationship, for support.</p>
<p>For the residents of Greenfield in particular, the decline of small businesses is hard to bear because the town has a history of resisting national companies that have tried to come in and set up shop. The first anti-Walmart battle, in the mid-1990s, was prompted after the town council rezoned a plot of land, thus allowing a developer to build a Walmart. Norman, the Sprawl Buster, led a ballot initiative to reverse that zoning decision, and his narrow win surprised just about everybody in Greenfield, including him. &ldquo;We really tried to play up the idea that Greenfield had a lot to lose,&rdquo; he told me. &ldquo;Our slogan was, &lsquo;You can buy cheap underwear at Walmart, but you can&rsquo;t buy small-town quality of life anywhere.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
<p>A decade later, when a developer again tried to put a Walmart outside of town, Norman fought it because the new site was on a wetland. Eventually, the state&rsquo;s Department of Environmental Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/01/06/development-dispute-western-mass-spans-years-and-counting/CaxvYOXtsfkEDpjtI32jqO/story.html">forbade</a>&nbsp;construction. Then, in 2011, when the developer reconfigured the site and won a planning board&rsquo;s permission to build, Norman found plaintiffs to file a lawsuit against the developer that is still winding its way through court. He drove me by both sites when I was in town, and both are still tree-filled fields, rather than the big stores developers had envisioned.</p>
<p>Lisa Cocco, the owner of Opus, a Main Street boutique selling small gifts like jewelry, pottery, and wind chimes that has been around for 28 years, said that when she thought Walmart was coming to Greenfield, she opened a second store in another town because she didn&rsquo;t think her original location could withstand the retailer&rsquo;s presence. The Walmart didn&rsquo;t come, so she stayed open in Greenfield. Now, she&rsquo;s not sure if she can weather the switch to e-commerce. She told me customers come in and browse, find something they like, and compare prices online when she&rsquo;s standing right there. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s seriously hurting business,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m extremely discouraged.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In some ways, Greenfield&rsquo;s lack of big-box stores might have accelerated residents&rsquo; transition to e-commerce. While there are shops downtown, those don&rsquo;t offer the selection of a Walmart or Target. And since the only big stores are a 30-minute drive away, many in Greenfield have started buying off Amazon instead. &ldquo;There are only a certain number of things you can get downtown,&rdquo; Danielle Jenczyk, a 37-year-old Greenfield resident told me. Jencyzk told me she shops on Amazon for just about everything, since she gets free shipping through her Prime subscription and because she can look at product reviews before she buys anything.</p>
<p>Small businesses in other towns that successfully kept big-box stores out are also having trouble. In Randolph, for instance, a Vermont town that recently fought off a proposal to build a shopping mall and a hotel on the outskirts of town, Belmain&rsquo;s, a variety store that has been in business since 1934,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vnews.com/Belmains-in-Randolph-VT-is-closing-13358070">announced</a>&nbsp;in October that it would close. The store&rsquo;s owners said it was closing because of &ldquo;the growth and convenience of Amazon and other mail-order companies and the lack of good steady flow of foot traffic in Randolph.&rdquo; And that likely isn&rsquo;t due to any decline in population&mdash;Vermont actually gained residents between 2000 and 2016.</p>
<p>The whole state of Vermont has long been a difficult place for big-box stores to locate&mdash;the state won&rsquo;t get its first Target until later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/19/558747580/after-55-years-target-will-finally-open-a-store-in-vermont">this year</a>. That&rsquo;s in large part because of Act 250, a state law that gives regional environmental commissions the power to deny building permits for big projects. But despite those successes, Paul Bruhn, the executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, a nonprofit that seeks to protect the state&rsquo;s architectural heritage, is concerned about the future of Vermont&rsquo;s downtowns. &ldquo;With most small businesses, you don&#39;t have to take away all of their business for them to fail,&rdquo; Bruhn told me. &ldquo;A business that loses 10 percent to 20 percent because of Amazon, that&rsquo;s a big impact.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Some communities are trying to push back against the decline of independent businesses by launching campaigns asking people to shop local, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.localfirstaz.com/about/">Local First Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/about/">Portland Buy Local</a>. (Greenfield launched its own currency&mdash;Greenfield Dollars&mdash;in hopes of getting people to spend money in the area.) City officials can zone downtowns for mixed-use retail, and create affordable commercial space in new housing developments, said Stacy Mitchell, the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit that&rsquo;s skeptical of big business. Some cities have helped set up community banks that are more likely to give out small-business loans, Mitchell said.</p>
<p>But it will be hard for cities to create a shopping environment more convenient than Amazon&rsquo;s. Julie Keane, a 30-year-old who lives in Greenfield, told me that her family understands the importance of supporting local businesses, going to the Wilson&rsquo;s department store when they can. But she has a 10-month-old son, and often, Amazon has baby products that the department store doesn&rsquo;t. When Amazon was offering a free Prime trial two years ago, her family signed up. They now use it frequently, since it saves them time&mdash;it doesn&rsquo;t make sense for Keane to pack her son into the car and drive to the Target 30 minutes away for the same products. And as long as she&rsquo;s buying those sorts of products on Amazon, she&rsquo;s likelier to buy other products, the kind available on Main Street, from the company too&mdash;the longer someone is a Prime member, the more money they spend on the site,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cpcstrategy.com/blog/2017/09/amazon-prime/">studies show</a>. &ldquo;We try to shop locally,&rdquo; she told me. &ldquo;But sometimes, there are better options online to what we have.&rdquo;</p>
<p>How might local businesses respond? &ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re seeing that local merchants are thinking seriously about what their advantage is,&rdquo; said Marc Levinson, the author of&nbsp;The Great A&amp;P and the Struggle for Small Business in America.&nbsp;Some small retailers are trying to offer services that e-retailers can&rsquo;t offer to draw in customers. Seth Lustig, the owner of Greenfield Games, another Main Street store, says that his business has been able to attract customers by organizing game nights and other events for people to learn about new products they might not naturally come across online. Nelson, the hardware-store owner in Vermont, says helpful customer service helps him draw in shoppers&mdash;people who know that he&rsquo;ll assemble products for free will come in rather than buying something online and having to assemble it themselves.</p>
<p>But the challenge posed by online shopping to local businesses is immense. Even Al Norman, who refuses to shop at Walmart, says he doesn&rsquo;t have the same aversion to Amazon, in part because he thinks the internet is the future of shopping. His wife has a Prime account, and he recently ordered tea from the website when he couldn&rsquo;t find it locally, he said, adding that he has no plans to organize protests or zoning meetings about Amazon. He doesn&rsquo;t love the idea that some of his money is going to Jeff Bezos, &ldquo;the richest human around,&rdquo; as he refers to the Amazon founder, and so still shops locally whenever possible. He doesn&rsquo;t know whether he&rsquo;ll still be doing that in a decade. When he launched the first campaign against Walmart in Greenfield 25 years ago, he led activists with bumper stickers that said, &ldquo;If you build it, we won&rsquo;t come.&rdquo; He knows the same can&rsquo;t be said for Amazon, because shoppers, including him, are already there.</p>Alana Semuels, The AtlanticMon, 05 Mar 2018 00:15:45 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/small-town-kept-walmart-out-now-it-faces-amazon/146391/ManagementShutterstockHomeland Security to Put First Responder Tech to the Testhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/homeland-security-put-first-responder-tech-test/146390/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/04/nyc_ambulance/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>The Homeland Security Department is looking for ways emerging technologies can keep first responders better connected when disaster strikes.</p>
<p>The DHS Science and Technology Directorate on Wednesday opened applications for the agency&rsquo;s Harris County Operational Experimentation, a chance for groups to prove their technology&rsquo;s worth in improving safety and effectiveness of firemen, paramedics and other rescue workers on the ground.</p>
<p>The experimentation comes as part of the agency&rsquo;s broader Next Generation First Responder initiative. The program aims to find ways emerging tech can impact the work of Houston-area first responders and the Coast Guard, according to a statement from DHS S&amp;T.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Commercial technology is advancing at a remarkable pace, and it&rsquo;s time for public safety to leverage those advancements,&rdquo; said DHS S&amp;T Program Manager Sridhar Kowdley. &ldquo;During this OpEx, we want to prove that diverse responder technologies can be integrated using open standards and that integrated capabilities increase first responder safety and effectiveness.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The event is scheduled to run Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 in Houston and will include rescue workers from the city, Harris County, Port of Houston and Coast Guard. Participants will test Homeland Security-developed and commercial technologies in response to a HazMat scenario at the port, according to the agency&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&amp;mode=form&amp;id=83d77646ec35cdf6baf2d274c12bc78f&amp;tab=core&amp;_cview=0">request for information</a>.</p>
<p>The project will focus on technologies in 10 specific capability areas, including wearable sensors, displays and communications devices. Homeland Security will also test data analytics tools as well as mesh networks and location systems first responders can use indoors.</p>
<p>The agency said it will not make contract awards based on the experiment but will enter limited purpose research and development agreements with each of the vendors who participate.</p>
<p>Researchers from academia, private industry, federal R&amp;D centers and government agencies are all invited to submit proposals. The deadline for applications is March 30.</p>Jack Corrigan, Government ExecutiveSun, 04 Mar 2018 18:39:32 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/03/homeland-security-put-first-responder-tech-test/146390/Tech & DataShutterstockTrump’s Trade War Could Stall Kentucky’s Bourbon-Fueled Boomhttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/trump-kentucky-bourbon-trade-war/146389/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/04/bourbon-barrels/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>President Trump&rsquo;s announcement that the United States would impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum could have wide-ranging impacts on a number of regional economies&mdash;including Kentucky&rsquo;s economic darling: its bourbon industry.</p>
<p>U.S. allies that will be impacted by the steep tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum products said they would retaliate with tariffs on specific U.S. industries. This international trade war would likely have consequences for targeted domestic regional economies.</p>
<p>For instance, a Toronto-based trade lawyer mused about retaliation against American wines<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/canada-top-exporter-of-steel-and-aluminum-to-us-flabbergasted-by-trumps-tariff-proposals/2018/03/02/7c906c2a-1e22-11e8-98f5-ceecfa8741b6_story.html?utm_term=.ea136f41f4dd"> in <em>The Washington Post</em></a>. And, as<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/02/china-expresses-grave-concerns-us-steel-tariff-plans"> several</a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/business/europe-steel-tariffs-trump.html"> outlets</a> reported, European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker has threatened to strike back at all-American products like Harley Davidsons and Kentucky bourbon.</p>
<p>For Kentucky, international retaliatory tariffs on its signature product could be damaging for a growing local economy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Bourbon is starting to grow out its international market,&rdquo; Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer told <em>Route Fifty</em> in an interview. &ldquo;It only has about 10 percent of the market share compared to scotch so it&rsquo;s by no stretch of the imagination a fully developed market outside the United States so it&rsquo;s a real opportunity for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s not only an opportunity, but a major driver of the regional economy. In January 2017, the University of Louisville<a href="https://louisville.edu/upa/research-centers-1/KentuckyBourbonEconomicImpactStudy2017Final.pdf/"> released a study</a> estimating &ldquo;the industry is responsible for between 15,000 and 17,500 jobs in the state, annual payroll of nearly $800 million, and total economic output of $8.5 billion.&rdquo; It also pointed out that 2,000 jobs were added in the last 2 years alone, and was &ldquo;responsible for $190 million in Kentucky state and local government revenues&rdquo; in 2016.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Bourbonism, which is bourbon tourism and our local food tourism, is a super-hot area for our city right now,&rdquo; Fischer said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a strong American base for it but we need that international base as well, so I hope the White House kind of thinks more fully about some of the trade issues that were suggested the other day.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In our interview, Fischer pointed to 25 hotels across his city either in the planning or construction phase as evidence of the city&rsquo;s tremendous tourism growth. &nbsp;In his<a href="https://louisvilleky.gov/news/mayor-fischers-2018-state-city-address"> state of the city address</a> in January, Fischer touted his city as the trailhead for Kentucky&rsquo;s Bourbon Trail, ticking off myriad new tasting rooms and distilleries. He credited the boom with establishing Louisville as &ldquo;a 365-day-a-year tourist destination, welcoming over 24 million tourist visits a year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Brian Roy, the executive director and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Counties, told Route Fifty in an interview that the industry has a &ldquo;ripple effect&rdquo; throughout the state, creating jobs well beyond tourism, from building staves for the millions of barrels of whiskey in Kentucky to warehousing of a liquor that is typically aged for years before being ready for consumption. He also pointed to regional farmers as an area that could be impacted.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know a lot of farmers have produced more corn than in other years due to the fact that that industry demands corn product,&rdquo; Roy said.</p>
<p>All of it adds to employment&mdash;and the tax base. Roy told <em>Route Fifty</em> the bourbon itself is probably the most significant source of tax revenue for state and local governments, and &ldquo;to have anything threaten those [revenues] would be very devastating.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The University of Louisville&rsquo;s report estimates that if the growth of the industry in Kentucky continues unencumbered, by 2020 state and local tax revenues will rise to $242 million.</p>
<p>Beyond the jobs and revenue for the region, their calling card is bourbon.</p>
<p>At the National Association of Counties meeting in Washington, D.C. this weekend, Boone County, Kentucky Judge Gary Moore has been handing out chocolate bourbon balls as favors in his bid to become second vice president of the organization. He mentioned the re-creation of Boone Distillery in his county has been &ldquo;amazing,&rdquo; not only for its tourism and jobs but &ldquo;really selling our Kentucky heritage of bourbon.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Those industries that really brand Kentucky are so important to us,&rdquo; Moore said, explaining that the industry is enticing when courting other large businesses to the state.</p>
<p>Like bourbon, tariff responses are as much symbolic as they are economic. Therefore, it&rsquo;s not a coincidence that the European Union is targeting U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell&rsquo;s home state.</p>
<p>As<a href="http://www.thinkkentucky.com/Newsroom/NewsPage.aspx?x=06062017_Wilderness_Trail_Distillery.html"> Gov. Matt Bevin stated last year</a>, &ldquo;with 95 percent of the world&rsquo;s bourbon made in Kentucky, our spirits industry is a large and rapidly growing contributor to our economy each year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>That would make a potential tariff on bourbon a very targeted&mdash;and very political&mdash;statement by the European Union.</p>Mitch HerckisSun, 04 Mar 2018 10:02:26 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/trump-kentucky-bourbon-trade-war/146389/FinanceShutterstockGovernors Embrace Role as 'New Ambassadors' in Chaotic Trump Erahttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/governors-new-ambassadors-trump/146388/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/03/governors/medium.jpeg"
alt="Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, right, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the National Governors Association&#39;s winter meeting in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 24."
title="Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, right, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the National Governors Association&#39;s winter meeting in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 24."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Governors are gaining international clout while <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/969525362580484098">President Trump tweets of trade wars</a>.</p>
<p>But the so-called &ldquo;new ambassadors&rdquo; are careful not to couch the dynamic as a dramatic shift in how the U.S. conducts foreign relations.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nga.org/cms/home">National Governors Association</a> on Feb. 14 announced its creation of <a href="https://www.nga.org/cms/global">NGA Global</a>, an office focused on international cooperation.</p>
<p>And the organization&rsquo;s winter meeting in the nation&#39;s capital&nbsp;later that month saw Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promoting the very Trans-Pacific Partnership&nbsp;that Trump withdrew the U.S. from negotiations&nbsp;over&nbsp;in January 2017. Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo also addressed the group, the first African leader to do so in NGA&#39;s history, on a skilled workforce and other&nbsp;issues.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I would say there&rsquo;s no other time in recent history that governors have mattered as much as we do now,&rdquo; Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo told reporters ahead of Turnbull&rsquo;s speech. &ldquo;We are living through an unprecedented period of inaction, political gridlock in Washington like we&rsquo;ve never seen, and that means the responsibility is falling to governors to take action to help the American people keep up and get ahead in this economy.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump had a different take when he met with the governors Monday.</p>
<p>The president called for &ldquo;fair and reciprocal trade deals,&rdquo; arguing Mexico, with its 16 percent value-added tax, was costing the U.S. about $130 billion a year and China $504 billion.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You, as governors, are not being treated fairly, and when I get too tough with the country you&rsquo;re always calling, &lsquo;Oh, gee, don&rsquo;t do that,&rsquo; Trump said. &ldquo;But I must say, it&rsquo;s more senators and congressmen and women that call; you haven&rsquo;t been calling so much. You want to see great deals.&rdquo;</p>
<p>By Friday, Trump was contemplating a trade war.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don&rsquo;t trade anymore-we win big. It&rsquo;s easy!</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/969525362580484098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Turnbull warned against exactly that thinking in his speech to the governors.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the challenge for us as political leaders is to ensure that the easy lure of protectionism doesn&rsquo;t overtake us,&rdquo; Turnbull said. &ldquo;I think you have to just make the case that more trade means more jobs, more investments, more exports.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Free trade agreements like the TPP help on that front, Turnbull added. So while he respected Trump honoring a campaign pledge in withdrawing, he&rsquo;s &ldquo;determined to keep that project alive.&rdquo;</p>
<p>TPP-11 <a href="http://santiagotimes.cl/2018/02/12/chile-prepares-for-trans-pacific-treaty-signature-ceremony-on-march-8/">will be signed</a> in Santiago, Chile on March 8 and includes an option for the U.S. to return in the future&mdash;a prospect Trump said he&rsquo;s open to.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s always an opportunity there, and I&rsquo;m obviously going to defer to the president to make that decision,&rdquo; Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who chairs NGA, told reporters at the winter meeting.</p>
<p>South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard&nbsp;said governors were more concerned with the North American Free Trade Agreement, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/business/trump-tariffs-trade-war.html">could be undermined</a>&nbsp;by Trump&rsquo;s plan to place a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. A seventh round of NAFTA talks, which the Trump administration pushed for, is&nbsp;ongoing.</p>
<p>Both Daugaard and Raimondo were open to changes to the trade pact but didn&rsquo;t want to see it&nbsp;scrapped.</p>
<p>&ldquo;South Dakota&rsquo;s an agriculture state, and we want to be sure the trade that we enjoy with Canada and Mexico of our agriculture products, which is very important to us, can continue,&rdquo; Daugaard said.</p>
<p>But Trump believes protectionism works, on Jan. 22 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/business/trump-tariffs-washing-machines-solar-panels.html">imposing hefty tariffs</a> on washing machine and solar energy cell imports mostly coming from China, the world&rsquo;s largest solar producer.</p>
<p>The president defended the move to the governors, saying it would reverse a trend of U.S. solar panel plant closures, but large-scale solar farm developers and power purchasers fear an uptick in costs and downturn in adoption.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The president&rsquo;s trade policy has come into clarity, and it&rsquo;s brain-dead,&rdquo; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told reporters at NGA&rsquo;s meeting. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll tell you why: On this solar industry situation he set a tariff that is high enough to kill the installation part of the industry, which is about 70 percent of the industry, and low enough not to help any of the cell manufacturers.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Inslee added the &ldquo;incompetent&rdquo; decision would cost 24,000 solar jobs across the U.S.,&nbsp;including in Washington State.</p>
<p>Governors are in the business of courting international companies, like those in renewable energy, for the jobs and employees they bring to their respective states. Raimondo used NGA&rsquo;s meeting to meet with a delegation from China on economic development, while Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was at the Invest in America! Summit in D.C. on Tuesday touting Detroit&rsquo;s comeback to foreign investors.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another question I receive a lot is about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Detroit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Detroit</a>, our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comebackcity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comebackcity</a>! I&rsquo;ve told everyone in DC it&rsquo;s so amazing they just have to see it for themselves. A lot of interest in the city today from investment delegations from Korea and China at the Invest in America Summit <a href="https://t.co/0h8ga4ZJeI">https://t.co/0h8ga4ZJeI</a></p>
&mdash; Governor Rick Snyder (@onetoughnerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/onetoughnerd/status/968508791288422400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>NGA has witnessed growing interest from international and subnational governments in gaining access to governors, sharing innovations and even funding state projects.</p>
<p>On May 4, U.S. governors will meet with their counterparts from Mexico and Canada in Phoenix to talk supply-side logistics, with NGA Global planning everything from traditional trade missions to leadership exchanges with Japan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the governors that are often making the trade deals,&rdquo; Tiffany Shackelford, NGA Office of Communications chief strategic officer, told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;They are often the ones looking for direct investment in their states.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Governors supplement the federal government in&nbsp;improving foreign relationships and information sharing, Shackelford added.</p>
<p>Australia sending its largest-ever political and business delegation to&nbsp;NGA was part of that, with Turnbull and four premiers, the country&rsquo;s equivalent to governors, encouraging greater U.S. involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The political leadership in America in the years ahead will come not exclusively from the leadership of Congress,&rdquo; Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Joe Hockey told <em>Route Fifty</em> on a press call prior to Turnbull&rsquo;s visit. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to come from the broad reach of the American polity.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The president to prime minister connection will remain the backbone for relations between the two countries, Hockey added.&nbsp;But he also said that these days relationships &ldquo;have to be broader, and they have to be inclusive rather than exclusive.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Governors figure to be a bigger part of diplomacy with countries like Australia moving forward, but they&rsquo;re the first to admit they&rsquo;re not looking to take the place of the president.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It would be a real shame if it came to that because&mdash;international policy, trade policy, foreign diplomacy&mdash;those rest with the president and his Cabinet, and that&rsquo;s probably the hardest area for any governor or coalition of governors to make up for efficiency in national leadership,&rdquo; Raimondo told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;So I think all of us will do what we can in terms of individual trade missions, but that&rsquo;s a hard one.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirSun, 04 Mar 2018 09:53:18 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/governors-new-ambassadors-trump/146388/ManagementNevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, right, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the National Governors Association's winter meeting in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 24.Jose Luis Magana / AP PhotoU.S. DOT Official: Gas Tax Debate Could Jam Up Infrastructure Talkshttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/highway-trust-fund-infrastructure/146387/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/03/oregon_highway_traffic_jam/medium.jpg"
alt="A traffic jam on a highway, during 2017."
title="A traffic jam on a highway, during 2017."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Injecting debate about a gas tax hike into infrastructure discussions getting underway in Congress&nbsp;could&nbsp;bog down&nbsp;efforts to advance a public works&nbsp;package like the one President Trump is pushing for, a top U.S. Department of Transportation official cautioned here Saturday.</p>
<p>Anthony Bedell, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs with the agency, noted at a gathering of county officials&nbsp;that lawmakers are &quot;trying to start mixing&quot;&nbsp;discussions about the Highway Trust Fund&nbsp;and reauthorizing the nation&#39;s surface transportation program, with talks about the White House infrastructure proposal.</p>
<p>Fuel taxes provide&nbsp;the primary source of revenue for the trust fund, which is a&nbsp;main federal account&nbsp;for roads and mass transit.</p>
<p>&quot;We&rsquo;re happy to have that conversation if Congress wants to have it,&quot; Bedell said. But he added: &quot;A big gas tax debate while we&rsquo;re trying to do something separate may grind things to a halt. We don&rsquo;t want that to happen.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He also said in his remarks that &quot;the end of March is when I think you&rsquo;ll start to hear about bill drafting&quot;&nbsp;and that this would provide a &quot;pivot point,&quot; where county officials would be able to offer more&nbsp;input.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need it done this year,&quot;&nbsp;Bedell said, referring to the sort of infrastructure package Trump has proposed.&nbsp;&quot;Then we can talk about Highway Trust Fund and surface reauthorization next year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The president submitted&nbsp;an infrastructure blueprint&nbsp;to Congress on Feb. 12 that would involve $200 billion of federal funding, mostly for new grant programs. The administration&#39;s goal is&nbsp;to spur&nbsp;a total of about $1.5 trillion of infrastructure investment over 10 years when combining the federal money&nbsp;with state, local and private dollars.</p>
<p>Not identified in the plan are new revenue streams to pay for the proposed spending. The Trump administration has suggested that budget cuts to other programs could help cover the cost.</p>
<p>Trump&#39;s plan also includes an array of proposals to speed up environmental permitting and approvals for infrastructure projects, with the aim of completing the processes&nbsp;in two years or less.</p>
<p>The president in recent weeks <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/14/trump-gas-tax-409647" target="_blank">has floated the idea</a> of raising the gas tax. But Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/" target="_blank">declined to clarify</a> Trump&#39;s&nbsp;current position on the issue during a Senate hearing last Thursday. DJ Gribbin, an&nbsp;infrastructure adviser to the president, said the same day the administration is not for or against raising the tax.</p>
<p>Bedell made his comments to a National Association of Counties transportation committee at NACo&#39;s 2018 legislative conference.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently&nbsp;<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/" target="_blank">told <em>Route Fifty</em></a> that if major infrastructure legislation comes together this year,&nbsp;he thinks it &quot;has to have&nbsp;something&quot; in it to address the Highway Trust Fund&#39;s finances.</p>
<p>The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit has a hearing scheduled for next Wednesday titled: &quot;Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Long-Term Funding for Highways and Transit Programs.&quot;</p>
<p>In recent years, the trust fund has had&nbsp;financial difficulties as spending from it has outpaced dwindling gas tax revenues. Lawmakers have used general fund transfers as a financial Band-Aid. The latest bill propping up the account is set to expire in&nbsp;2020.</p>
<p>Improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and the emergence of electric-powered and shared vehicles are among the trends threatening to further undermine gas tax revenues in the years ahead.</p>
<p>Former U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican who chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during his time in office, also spoke at the NACo committee meeting, and weighed in on the Highway Trust Fund, describing the fund as &quot;depleted.&quot;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have not been a fan of increasing the gas tax because it doesn&rsquo;t really solve our problem,&quot; said Mica, who lost his 2016 reelection bid.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Every day we&rsquo;re here, cars are driving further and paying less,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Eventually, and I can say this now, I couldn&rsquo;t say it when I was chairman, it&#39;ll be vehicle-miles travelled.&quot;</p>
<p>Gary Moore, the&nbsp;county judge/executive in Boone County, Kentucky chairs NACo&#39;s transportation steering committee. He said it was still too soon for him to weigh in on how he&#39;d like the specifics of Trump&#39;s infrastructure plan translated into legislation, but expressed appreciation that the president had made the issue a priority.</p>
<p>&quot;Just the fact that he&#39;s talking about infrastructure is great for counties,&quot; Moore said. &quot;It&#39;ll be interesting to see what Congress does.&quot;</p>
<p><strong>PREVIOUSLY on&nbsp;<em>Route Fifty</em>:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>&quot;<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/" target="_blank">Highway Trust Fund Casts Shadow Over Infrastructure Debate</a>&quot;</strong></li>
</ul>Bill LuciaSat, 03 Mar 2018 20:28:48 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/highway-trust-fund-infrastructure/146387/InfrastructureA traffic jam on a highway, during 2017.shutterstockCounty Leaders Not Giving Up Fight on Exemption Nixed in Tax Overhaulhttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/naco-advance-refunding-rural-infrastructure/146386/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/02/texas_rural_road/medium.jpg"
alt="A rural road in Texas"
title="A rural road in Texas"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Restoring a refinancing option for municipal bonds and pushing for new federal dollars for rural infrastructure to flow to county governments, instead of just states, are two priorities county leaders intend to advocate for on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>Local government groups lost a fight during last year&rsquo;s Republican-led tax overhaul to salvage a federal income tax exemption for interest earned on &ldquo;advance refunding&rdquo; bonds, which state and local governments have commonly used in the past to refinance and restructure debt. Under the new tax law, advance refunding bonds issued after Dec. 31, 2017 are not eligible for the exemption.</p>
<p>But county leaders are now looking to the debate about a possible federal infrastructure package as a chance to make&nbsp;their case for reviving&nbsp;the tax break. Municipal bonds are one of the most common ways state&nbsp;and local governments&nbsp;borrow money to finance roads, waterworks and other infrastructure.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We are going to be pushing for advance refunding,&rdquo; said National Association of Counties executive director Matthew Chase.</p>
<p>The group kicked off its <a href="http://www.naco.org/events/agenda/184052#link-0">six-day 2018 legislative conference</a> on Friday. About 2,000 attendees from around the U.S. are expected to be on hand at the event, which will include meetings and sessions with members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries and federal agency leaders.</p>
<p>Roy Brooks, a commissioner in Tarrant County, Texas, and NACo&#39;s current president, said that &ldquo;the most pregnant issue right now&rdquo; as county leaders visit D.C. and meet with lawmakers is probably infrastructure and the president&rsquo;s recently issued public works plan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a conversation starter,&rdquo; Brooks said of Trump&rsquo;s infrastructure proposal, which was released on Feb. 12.</p>
<p>The White House blueprint calls for $200 billion of federal funding that would mostly go to new grant programs. It aims to stimulate around $1.5 trillion of infrastructure investment over a decade when combining the federal funds with state, local and private dollars.</p>
<p>One of the proposed grant programs would target rural infrastructure, including roads, airports, water systems and inland waterways. The plan calls for $50 billion for these grants, with 80 percent of the funding distributed according to a formula to governors. The other 20 percent of the funds would go to &ldquo;rural performance grants&rdquo; states could apply for.</p>
<p>Chase said NACo would prefer some of this rural funding to go directly to counties, as opposed to funneling it through governors&rsquo; offices.</p>
<p>One variable in the formula that would guide the distribution of rural infrastructure dollars in Trump&rsquo;s plan is rural lane-miles of road. (Population and policy objectives would also be factored in.)</p>
<p>In a state like Kansas, according to Chase, counties own about 90 percent of the roads.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Why should the governor get the money for infrastructure if they own, literally, less than 8 percent of the roads?&rdquo; he said. Chase added: &ldquo;We like the concept of rural infrastructure, but the money should go to those levels of government that actually own the infrastructure.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Brooks and two other county leaders&mdash;Greg Cox, NACo&rsquo;s first vice president and a supervisor in San Diego County, California, and Mary Ann Borgeson, the group&rsquo;s second vice president and a commissioner in Douglas County, Nebraska&mdash;told <em>Route Fifty</em> Friday it was too early to weigh in on specific parts of&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s plan they want to see adopted or discarded. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re at that point yet,&rdquo; Borgeson said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re still dissecting it,&rdquo; Cox added.</p>
<p>Chase said NACo&rsquo;s committees would further discuss the plan this weekend.</p>
<p>Borgeson, Brooks and Cox did all say that their counties had used advance refunding bonds previously.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to issue debt from time to time and we need to be able to take advantage of market opportunities to save money on defeasing those bonds, or paying off that debt,&rdquo; Brooks said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When you take away our ability to do that, it&rsquo;s going to cost us money,&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>Estimates presented last year as the tax law took shape showed that eliminating the income tax exemption for interest earned on municipal bonds would yield about $17.4 billion over 10 years for the federal budget&mdash;money that helped to offset tax cuts in the measure.</p>
<p>NACo, Chase said, supports&nbsp;a bipartisan <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5003/committees">bill</a> in the U.S. House that would reinstate the tax-exempt status of advance refunding bonds. Rep. Randy Hultgren, an Illinois Republican, introduced the legislation in February. It currently has three Democratic and two Republican co-sponsors and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee.</p>
<p>Other state and local government groups are also urging Congress to restore the advance refunding tax exemption. The National Association of State Treasurers <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/02/state-treasurers-advance-refunding-bonds-tax-exempt/146170/">last week sent a letter</a> to congressional leaders taking this position and endorsing the Hultgren bill.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s generally understood that investors are willing to accept lower returns for debt when their interest earnings are tax-exempt. This, in turn, keeps borrowing costs lower for state and local issuers.</p>
<p>Whether a major infrastructure package will materialize this year is an open question.</p>
<p>Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chamber&#39;s No. 2 Republican, suggested this week that time and other factors could make it challenging to pass such a bill in the months ahead. But he also did not rule it out <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/">and said</a> he&rsquo;d do everything he could to move the effort forward.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/">held the first hearing</a> in Congress on the president&rsquo;s infrastructure proposal. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=402216">scheduled a hearing</a> on the plan for next Tuesday.</p>Bill LuciaFri, 02 Mar 2018 18:46:29 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/naco-advance-refunding-rural-infrastructure/146386/InfrastructureA rural road in TexasShutterstockThere Are Hundreds of New State Gun Laws And Most Expand Accesshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/there-are-hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-and-most-expand-access/146359/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/02/state_government_gun_laws/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This story was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/02/hundreds-of-new-state-gun-laws-most-expand-access">originally published</a> by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Matt&nbsp;Vasilogambros.</em></p>
<p>In the two weeks since the Florida school massacre, state lawmakers around the country have introduced bills to ban bump stocks, ban assault weapons, and expand background checks &mdash; and also to arm teachers, lighten penalties for carrying without a permit, and waive handgun permit fees.</p>
<p>If history foretells, the gun-rights bills will have a better chance at success. In the years since Sandy Hook, when 26 were slain in 2012, states have enacted nearly 600 new gun laws, according to data compiled separately by the National Rifle Association and the Giffords Law Center to Reduce Gun Violence.</p>
<p>Nearly two-thirds of those were backed by the NRA.</p>
<p>It is &ldquo;indisputably true&rdquo; that there have been far more new laws that loosen gun restrictions than tighten them, said Michael Hammond, the legislative counsel at Gun Owners of America, a Virginia-based &ldquo;no compromise&rdquo; gun lobbying organization. The way a state reacts to mass shootings depends on who controls its legislature, he said. And in the case of the states that expanded access to firearms, most were controlled by Republicans.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you are in favor of the Second Amendment, grow up with guns, are comfortable with guns, don&rsquo;t want to see kids turned into sitting ducks, you&rsquo;re more likely to say the solution is more guns,&rdquo; Hammond said.</p>
<p>By the NRA&rsquo;s count, governors since 2013 have enacted 382 &ldquo;pro-gun&rdquo; bills &mdash; many widely expanding access to firearms.</p>
<p>Governors in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas and Texas, signed bills that would allow people with concealed carry licenses to bring guns onto college campuses, joining seven other states with similar laws.</p>
<p>New laws in at least five states &mdash; Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and West Virginia &mdash; allow gun owners to carry loaded firearms without a permit or training. So-called permitless carry laws now are in effect in more than 10 states.</p>
<p>After the latest massacre in Florida, Indiana lawmakers are close to making their state the next that allows people to carry guns on church grounds, even if there is a school on church property. Jack Sandlin, the Republican state senator who wrote the bill, said it&rsquo;s &ldquo;common sense&rdquo; to want to pass this kind of legislation after mass shootings.</p>
<p>&ldquo;People want to know how to protect themselves and protect their families,&rdquo; Sandlin said. Before being elected to public office, he spent 35 years in law enforcement.</p>
<p><strong>Successes in Gun Control</strong></p>
<p>Also in the past five years, 210 &ldquo;gun safety laws&rdquo; were enacted in 45 states, according to the Giffords Law Center, a nonprofit named after former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s far fewer than the number backed by the NRA, but advocates for restricting access to firearms don&rsquo;t see things that way. Comparing the number of laws that expanded gun access to the number of laws that tightened restrictions on guns is &ldquo;a false paradigm,&rdquo; said Dan Gross, the former president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sure, if you count every one of those little BS things that the corporate gun lobby has put out that you can say has weakened gun laws, it&rsquo;d probably be a losing tally for us,&rdquo; Gross said. &ldquo;But when you look at it through the lens of what states have done to make them meaningfully safer, you can make a strong case that momentum has shifted.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Since Sandy Hook, states such as Colorado, Delaware, New York, Oregon and Washington have expanded background checks for gun purchases.</p>
<p>During that same period, Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah and several other states enacted laws that prevent people convicted of domestic violence from possessing a gun. Nearly 30 states now have similar laws, and Oregon passed a similar bill last month.</p>
<p>Unlike NRA-backed legislation that is passed mostly in red states, these measures are being passed in both blue and red states, said Allison Anderman, the managing attorney at the Giffords center.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The NRA is not getting permitless-carry and campus-carry laws enacted in true blue states like California, New Jersey, Connecticut or New York,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Whereas we&rsquo;re getting laws that we think are extremely impactful in states like Alabama and Louisiana. How many people would have been shot and killed if we hadn&rsquo;t passed those bills?&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>What States Will Do Now</strong></p>
<p>Two-thirds of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/28/gun-control-polling-parkland-430099">now support</a>&nbsp;stricter gun control laws, polls have found. Further, nearly 90 percent of Americans support background checks for gun purchases.</p>
<p>Gun control activists say there is clearly a momentum right now. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, signed a &ldquo;red flag&rdquo; executive order this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/02/27/rhode-island-red-flag-dangerous-gun-owners/376158002/">that keeps guns away from people</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;who pose a danger to themselves and others.&rdquo; Similar measures are being considered in Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey.</p>
<p>The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island have joined forces to create a &ldquo;States for Gun Safety&rdquo; coalition&nbsp;<a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governors-cuomo-malloy-murphy-and-raimondo-announce-states-gun-safety-coalition-combat-gun">to expand gun control efforts</a>.</p>
<p>Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott proposed raising the age to buy assault rifles &mdash; a move that was also called for this week by President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>But even with this action, many states are far from enacting new gun restrictions. Already, some states are struggling to pass&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/02/23/stalled-effort-to-ban-bump-stocks-illustrates-challenge-of-changing-state-gun-laws">bills that would ban bump stocks</a>, the devices that allow assault weapons to fire continuously. The Las Vegas gunman used a bump stock to quickly shoot more than 500 people.</p>
<p>States such as Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/21/587539559/after-parkland-states-take-a-fresh-look-at-gun-legislation">are now considering</a>&nbsp;measures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/us/gun-control-laws.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=us&amp;region=rank&amp;module=package&amp;version=highlights&amp;contentPlacement=1&amp;pgtype=sectionfront">to further loosen gun laws</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the Florida shooting.</p>
<p>In Arizona, a state with some of the&nbsp;<a href="http://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/state-law/Arizona">least restrictive gun laws</a>&nbsp;in the country, lawmakers are unlikely to pass new restrictive bills, said state Rep. Daniel Hernandez Jr., a Democrat. He interned for Giffords in 2011, and he was there when she and 18 others were shot in the parking lot of a supermarket in Tucson. He came to her aid and is credited with helping save her life.</p>
<p>Hernandez said it&rsquo;s hard to pass restrictive gun bills in Arizona because of strong opposition from special interest groups, such as the Arizona Citizens Defense League, but also because guns are a part of the state&rsquo;s history and culture.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There is this idea,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that with our gun culture, we can&rsquo;t upset the apple cart, we can&rsquo;t change it, because for so many people this is a part of their tradition.&rdquo; Indeed, according to a 2015 survey, just one-third of Arizonans&nbsp;<a href="http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/arizona-poll-limited-support-for-new-gun-regulations/article_7691081c-bb87-11e4-b9b3-e7679f305ad4.html">want stricter gun laws</a>.</p>Matt Vasilogambros, The Pew Charitable TrustsFri, 02 Mar 2018 08:20:41 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/there-are-hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-and-most-expand-access/146359/Public SafetyShutterstockRaleigh’s Long-Awaited New 'Front Door' Is Nearly Completehttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/raleigh-union-station-nearly-complete/146354/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/02/raleigh_amtrak/medium.jpg"
alt="An Amtrak train pulls into the current train station, at left, which sits adjacent to the new Raleigh Union Station complex, at right."
title="An Amtrak train pulls into the current train station, at left, which sits adjacent to the new Raleigh Union Station complex, at right."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. &mdash; It&rsquo;s not yet open for business, but the new Union Station complex that&rsquo;s been taking shape on the edge of the downtown area here in North Carolina&rsquo;s capital city is definitely in the home stretch toward an expected springtime opening.</p>
<p>As <em>Route Fifty</em> was waiting for an Amtrak train at the current 1950s-era station on Thursday morning, crews were busy on adjacent tracks that will service a new 920-foot-long high-level passenger platform, which is connected to the <a href="https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/raleighunionstation/">new Union Station multi-modal transportation hub</a>. That complex, with estimated construction costs of around $88 million, is being built with a combination of state and local funding plus Obama-era federal grants.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/02/raleigh_union_station_canopy.jpg" />
<figcaption>Part of Raleigh&#39;s new &quot;front door.&quot; (Michael Grass / Route Fifty)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The new station, which is about a 10-minute walk from the State Capitol and the heart of downtown, has helped attract new development to Raleigh&rsquo;s Warehouse District and surrounding neighborhoods. That includes <a href="https://thedillonraleigh.com/">The Dillon</a>, a 2.5-acre mixed-use complex with apartments and an 18-story office tower currently under construction immediately to the east of the new station.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/02/raleigh_dillon.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Dillon includes an 18-story office tower near the new Raleigh Union Station. (Michael Grass / Route Fifty)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The forthcoming train station been described as Raleigh&rsquo;s new &ldquo;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2018/01/11/cover-story-unlocking-raleigh-s-new-front-door.html">front door</a>,&rdquo; and, as <em>Route Fifty</em> has previously featured, is just part of <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/2016/12/raleigh-new-union-station-construction/133841/">a long-range vision that makes North Carolina&rsquo;s capital an important gateway for intercity rail travelers</a> going between the Southeastern U.S. and the busy Northeast Corridor.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned large"><img alt="" class="large" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/03/02/raleigh_union_station.png" />
<figcaption>The site plan for the new Union Station complex. (NCDOT Rail Division)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While that long-range vision depends on creating a new high-speed rail shortcut along a&nbsp;partially abandoned right-of-way that once carried trains between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia, local leaders in North Carolina&rsquo;s capital city have a shorter-term project they&rsquo;d like to pursue: a tunnel that would reconnect West Street under the tracks and allow for the elimination of the a track crossing at Cabarrus Street, the last such grade crossing in the downtown area.</p>
<p>The problem: Uncertainty surrounding future federal funding for transportation projects.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/traffic/article202620264.html">As <em>The News &amp; Observer</em> reported Thursday</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It&rsquo;s not clear when the tunnel would be built, [Raleigh transportation planning manager Eric] Lamb says. The transportation bond approved by voters in the fall authorizes the city to borrow $10 million for the project&mdash;$3 million for design and engineering work and $7 million that the city would put up to try to win a federal grant, he said.</p>
<p>The tunnel is expected to cost $35 million to $40 million, Lamb said. The city wants to complete the planning so that it is able to begin construction when federal money becomes available, he said.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Raleigh officials, of course, aren&rsquo;t alone. State and local transportation planners plus elected leaders across the nation who are pursuing major infrastructure projects are waiting for clarity from Congress and the Trump administration regarding <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/">the future of federal funding</a>.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned &hellip;</p>Michael GrassFri, 02 Mar 2018 01:01:04 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/raleigh-union-station-nearly-complete/146354/InfrastructureAn Amtrak train pulls into the current train station, at left, which sits adjacent to the new Raleigh Union Station complex, at right.Michael Grass / Route FiftyGeorgia Lt. Gov. Jeopardizes His State’s Business-Friendly Reputationhttp://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/georgia-delta-airlines-tax-exemption/146353/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/georgia-state-capitol/medium.jpg"
alt="The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta"
title="The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are some state and local government stories that caught Route Fifty&rsquo;s attention &hellip;</em></p>
<p><strong>ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | </strong>Following <strong>Atlanta</strong>-based <strong>Delta Air Lines&rsquo;</strong> decision to end a special discount for members of the <strong>National Rifle Association</strong> following the <strong>Parkland, Florida</strong> high school shooting, <strong>Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle</strong>, who presides over the state Senate, said earlier this week that he would &ldquo;kill&rdquo; any tax break that would benefit <strong>the state&rsquo;s largest private employer</strong>. On Thursday, <strong>state lawmakers eliminated a special jet-fuel tax exemption</strong> as part of larger tax measure. Following the Republican lieutenant governor&rsquo;s threat, the Democratic governors of <strong>New York</strong> and <strong>Virginia</strong> encouraged Delta to relocate its headquarters to their states. Although Georgia <strong>Gov. Nathan Deal</strong>, a Republican, has frowned on the political &ldquo;squabble&rdquo; involving Delta, he has said that he&rsquo;ll sign the larger tax package, which would reduce taxes for Georgia residents and businesses. But he warned, in a statement: &ldquo;If we truly wish to remain the No. 1 state in which to do business&hellip; if we want to attract more companies to our communities and more jobs for our growing populace&hellip; if we want to remain a truly competitive hub for global commerce and not be overshadowed by neighboring states, then we need to address the concerns of all in a dignified manner and with a maturity that our people deserve.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/01/georgia-lawmakers-pull-airline-break-after-delta-killed-nra-discounts.html"><em>CNBC</em></a>; <a href="https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2018-02-28/gov-deals-remarks-tax-reform-legislation-press-conference"><em>Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>POTHOLES</strong> | One solution is to fill them. Another is to just surrender and close down the roads, which is what&rsquo;s happening in <strong>Michigan</strong>. In <strong>York Township</strong> near <strong>Ann Arbor</strong>, <strong>Washtenaw County</strong> road officials have opted to indefinitely <strong>close a several-mile stretch</strong> where &ldquo;<strong>the pavement is falling apart</strong>,&quot; in the words of <strong>Emily Kizer</strong>, communications coordinator for the road commission. &quot;<strong>We&#39;ve been trying&hellip; but the patching isn&#39;t working</strong>.&quot; Kizer said the clay beneath the surface is rising through the patching. [<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/01/ann-arbor-area-road-potholes-washtenaw-county/386036002/"><em>Detroit Free Press</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Indianapolis</strong> is similarly plagued, spurring <strong>Mayor Joe Hogsett</strong> to go forward with <strong>an emergency $14.5 million pothole-filling plan</strong> even as the City Council members decide if they want to pay for it. Work crews on Monday and Tuesday dropped 800 tons of asphalt and filled about 17,000 potholes. City and state researchers may have landed on a major technological assist. Engineers at <strong>Purdue University</strong> and the <strong>Indiana Department of Transportation</strong> have helped create <strong>Superpave 5</strong>, a new asphalt mixture that has fewer air pockets&mdash;a &ldquo;concept first developed in France.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2018/02/28/indianapolis-council-takes-up-emergency-pothole-plan-dpw-crews-drop-tons-asphalt/382294002/">IndyStar</a>, <a href="https://www.wthr.com/article/13-investigates-fact-check-huge-temperature-swing-not-to-blame-for-pothole-epidemic">13 WTHR</a>] &nbsp;</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://uw-media.indystar.com/video/embed/109949792?placement=embed" frameborder="0" src="https://uw-media.indystar.com/video/embed/109949792?placement=embed"></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://uw-media.indystar.com/video/embed/110947050?placement=embed" frameborder="0" src="https://uw-media.indystar.com/video/embed/110947050?placement=embed"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p>In <strong>Washington, D.C.</strong>, an increasing number of motorists whose vehicles have been damaged by potholes are getting paid. The <strong>District of Columbia </strong>government has paid dozens of claims to individuals and to insurance companies in amounts that range from $35 to $6,354, according to data provided to the D.C. Council. The District&rsquo;s government denied several dozen claims, one of which was filed by a pedestrian who claimed to have injured themselves tripping on and falling into a pothole. [<a href="https://wtop.com/dc/2018/03/hit-pothole-dc-might-pay-repairs/"><em>WTOP</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ENERGY | </strong>Another dispatch from the evolving utility sector: The <strong>Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.</strong> is expanding its <strong>Thunder Spirit Wind</strong> farm near <strong>Hettinger, North Dakota</strong> from 43 turbines to 59 turbines at a cost of roughly $85 million. The move is expected to boost the percentage of renewable energy delivered by the company from 22 percent to 27 percent and at lower cost than energy purchased on the market. [<a href="https://nawindpower.com/montana-dakota-utilities-purchasing-thunder-spirit-wind-expansion"><em>North American Wind Power</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>CITY COUNCILS</strong> | The <strong>Chicago City Council</strong> moved Wednesday to <strong>close a loophole in a sexual harassment ordinance</strong> it passed in the fall, which added alderman and other elected officials to rules barring sexual harassment. That proposal covered city employees, but it left out many non-government people who also work with officials, such as lobbyists, constituents, contractors and developers. [<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/city-council-closes-gaping-hole-in-sexual-harassment-ordinance/"><em>Sun Times</em></a>]</p>
<p>The <strong>Phoenix City Council</strong> this week swiftly approved <strong>new anti-harassment policy language </strong>that would allow members to remove harassing colleagues. But, because the language amends the city charter, Phoenix voters will have to approve it next election. [<em><a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix-city-council-could-remove-officials-anti-harassment-policy-10185844">New Times</a></em>] &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The <strong>New York City Council</strong> is investigating two of the state&rsquo;s largest health insurers suspected of defrauding taxpayers of roughly $1 billion. &ldquo;<strong>The scope of what has been alleged is shocking</strong>,&rdquo; said Councilmember <strong>Justin Brannan</strong>, referring to documents in a recently unsealed lawsuit. Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat, is looking into claims that <strong>Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield</strong> and <strong>Emblem Health</strong> exaggerated benefits and understated out-of-pocket costs. [<a href="https://nypost.com/2018/02/28/city-council-vows-to-probe-alleged-1b-health-insurer-scam/"><em>New York Post</em></a>]</p>
<p>The <strong>Los Angeles City Council </strong>unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday supporting a bill introduced by state <strong>Sen. Bob Hertzberg</strong> that seeks to create a California-chartered bank that could be used by the marijuana industry. [<em><a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2018/02/28/la-city-council-supports-proposed-state-marijuana-bank/">City News Service</a></em>]</p>
<p><strong>LAW ENFORCEMENT </strong>| Since 2012, <strong>New Orleans</strong> has driven down its frightening murder rate, which hit 200 that year. The effort has been built upon a big-data project that law enforcement has carried out in partnership with PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel&rsquo;s <strong>Palantir Technologies</strong>&mdash; a similar project to those carried out in <strong>Chicago</strong> and <strong>Los Angeles</strong>. Palantir, whose clients have included the CIA and the U.S. military, offered New Orleans its services free of charge. One of the pitches was that law enforcement would be able to &ldquo;<strong>identify people likely to either commit gun violence or be the victim of it</strong>.&rdquo; Murders fell by 25 percent over the next three years. But the private-public project in New Orleans has been characterized by a less-than-full transparency, and observers are concerned that officials and Palantir may be trampling civil rights. Journalists have filed records requests that have delivered emails and reports that have stoked anxiety. &quot;I&#39;m not saying these tools can&#39;t be utilized. But no one gets to be part of the discussion,&quot; said <strong>Ursula Price</strong>, deputy monitor in the city&rsquo;s <strong>Independent Police Monitor</strong>&#39;s office. &quot;At the very least, independent oversight should have some information. Had they shared some info with us, we might be able to allay some fears. Instead, everything is in a box and it&#39;s suspicious.&quot; &nbsp;[<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/27/17054740/palantir-predictive-policing-tool-new-orleans-nopd"><em>The Verge</em></a>; <a href="http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2018/03/palantir_new_orleans_nopd.html"><em>The Times-Picayune</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Asheville, North Carolina Mayor Esther Manheimer</strong> and City Council members expressed outrage after police video from an August incident surfaced this week depicting <strong>a white officer beating a black resident</strong>, Johnnie Jermaine Rush, after confronting him over allegedly jaywalking. The mayor promised to &ldquo;review the violent acts&rdquo; and the response taken by the police department. &ldquo;<strong>We will have accountability and, above all, transparency</strong>,&rdquo; she said in a release. [<a href="https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/03/01/asheville-mayor-outraged-over-police-beating-alleged-jaywalker/385485002/"><em>Asheville Citizen Times</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://uw-media.citizen-times.com/video/embed/110950514?placement=embed" frameborder="0" src="https://uw-media.citizen-times.com/video/embed/110950514?placement=embed"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell</strong> and Police Chief <strong>Bill Scott</strong> are at odds over a controversial ballot measure that would arm San Francisco officers with <strong>electronic stun guns</strong> or <strong>tasers</strong>. San Francisco is the last major city in the country where officers don&rsquo;t carry tasers. [<em><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-mayor-police-chief-differ-over-who-sets-rules-12720532.php">San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate</a></em>]</p>
<p><strong>PUBLIC RECORDS</strong> | <strong>Washington Gov. Jay Inslee</strong>&rsquo;s office has been <strong>deluged with messages asking him to veto a bill </strong>that would exempt the state legislature from the <strong>Public Records Act</strong>. Lawmakers passed the bill in record time and without public debate last week in response to a court ruling in January that found individual legislators subject to the open records requests. The bill notably seeks to retroactively block records sought by news organizations that sued the Legislature last year. &ldquo;<strong>You can be a good representative and still be transparent about your communications</strong>,&rdquo; Inslee told MSNBC host <strong>Chris Hayes</strong> recently. The bill passed with a wide majority, but the intense public reaction might prevent lawmakers from voting to override a veto. Some believe<a href="https://twitter.com/KateReports/status/969302085945630720"> Inslee simply will allow the bill to become law</a> without signing it, but the governor vetoed the bill on Thursday night.&nbsp;[<em><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article202934579.html">The News Tribune</a>; <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-vetoes-esb-6617-%E2%80%93-legislature-and-media-agree-discuss-path-forward">Gov. Jay Inslee</a></em>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">These just came in from a family in Kirkland for our hard working front desk staff. They&rsquo;ve been answering thousands of your calls the last two days. <a href="https://t.co/CCpoi5E5j8">pic.twitter.com/CCpoi5E5j8</a></p>
&mdash; Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovInslee/status/968967373200883712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>John Tomasic, Special to Route FiftyThu, 01 Mar 2018 23:37:16 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2018/03/georgia-delta-airlines-tax-exemption/146353/FinanceThe Georgia State Capitol in AtlantaShutterstockCongress Kicks Off Discussions About Trump’s Infrastructure Plan http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/port-of-newark/medium.jpg"
alt="The Port of Newark in New Jersey"
title="The Port of Newark in New Jersey"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; President Trump&rsquo;s infrastructure plan got its first public airing in Congress on Thursday, with some of the thornier issues that are likely to guide debate about any forthcoming public works package on display.</p>
<p>These issues are mainly centered on funding and environmental permitting. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and R.D. James, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, who leads the Army Corps of Engineers, appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on behalf of the administration.</p>
<p>Chao brushed off a question about President Trump&rsquo;s current position on raising the federal gas tax. In recent weeks, Trump has floated the idea of a 25-cent gas tax increase to help fund infrastructure.</p>
<p>Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, asked about this. &ldquo;The president has now said on a number of occasions that he does support an increase in the gas tax to fund this $200 billion plan,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Does the president mean what he says about increasing the gas tax?&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;You should ask the White House,&rdquo; Chao shot back.</p>
<p>Later in the day, DJ Gribbin, a special assistant to the president on infrastructure policy, said, as he has previously, that the president has not ruled out the possibility of a gas tax increase. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s said supportive things about it,&rdquo; Gribbin told state transportation officials at an event.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As an administration we don&rsquo;t have a position for or against,&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>The president&rsquo;s infrastructure plan calls for $200 billion of federal spending that would mostly go to new grant programs. It aims to stimulate around $1.5 trillion of spending over a decade for roads, water systems and other public works, when factoring in state, local and private funds.</p>
<p>How lawmakers will find or raise the money to pay for new infrastructure spending, or even to shore-up existing programs in future&nbsp;years, <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/" target="_blank">like the Highway Trust Fund</a>, is one of the quandaries on Capitol Hill as infrastructure discussions&nbsp;ramp up.</p>
<p>Gribbin has previously pointed to proposed cuts in the president&rsquo;s fiscal year 2019 budget plan as a way to pay for the infrastructure programs the White House proposed. Democrats have lashed out against the idea of chopping existing funding for transit and rail.</p>
<p>Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, questioned whether the White House infrastructure and budget proposals amount&nbsp;to &ldquo;simply moving chairs around on the deck of our infrastructure Titanic.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And Sen. Tom Carper, a Delaware lawmaker who is the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said he and other senators met with governors who are &ldquo;concerned&rdquo; and are &ldquo;not anxious to accept the kind of deal&rdquo; outlined in the Trump proposal.</p>
<p>The largest pool of grants under the White House public works plan involves an &ldquo;incentives program&rdquo; that would be allotted $100 billion.</p>
<p>This initiative would be designed to favor states and local governments that can bring greater shares of non-federal dollars to the table for projects. And grants through the program would not be allowed to exceed 20 percent of new project revenue.</p>
<p>Two other grant programs Trump has pitched&nbsp;would direct money toward rural and &ldquo;transformative&rdquo; projects.</p>
<p>Trump administration officials have emphasized they are not seeking to dismantle &ldquo;formula&rdquo; funding programs, like the Highway Trust Fund, or so-called state revolving funds that support water and wastewater projects. They&rsquo;ve stressed that under the plan, states and localities would still have access to these programs and that the new grants would come in addition to them.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not eliminating the Highway Trust Fund,&rdquo; Gribbin said. &ldquo;We are not using this just to replace existing programs.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In addition to grants, a major component of the White House infrastructure push involves reworking and speeding up environmental permitting and approval processes for projects.</p>
<p>The goal is for federal approvals for infrastructure projects to take two years or less.</p>
<p>Committee Chairman John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, zeroed in on what he sees as the promise of speeding up federal permitting and approvals for infrastructure projects.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The time has come to make a significant investment in our roads, bridges, ports and water systems,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Part of this can be accomplished by cutting Washington&#39;s red tape.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;As states, counties and towns wait to obtain permits from Washington, the cost for projects rise,&rdquo; Barrasso added. &ldquo;We need to speed-up project delivery.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Chao said there are private pension funds interested in investing in public infrastructure, but that a hurdle&nbsp;they face is the lack of ready projects. &ldquo;If the permitting process can be speeded up,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;it will actually make more projects available for the private sector.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Carper, however, said he was disappointed &ldquo;by the degree to which the administration is focusing on sweeping roll backs to our nation&rsquo;s bedrock environmental protections.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Gutting environmental protection does not always achieve time-savings,&rdquo; he added. Ensuring permitting agencies have adequate money to complete reviews quickly and fully implementing authorities Congress has already passed were alternatives he offered.</p>
<p>The Trump administration is adamant it is not trying to torpedo environmental protections by revising the permitting process.</p>
<p>Alex Herrgott is associate director for infrastructure with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and has helped spearhead the administration&rsquo;s permitting overhaul efforts. On Thursday, he challenged conservation advocates to scrutinize the White House proposals and identify anything other than a &ldquo;process redesign.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;There has been no erosion of environmental protections in anything this White House has done to speed up project delivery,&rdquo; he said at the same American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials gathering where Gribbin spoke.</p>
<p>The odds an infrastructure bill will pass this year, and the extent to which it might include the White House proposals are&nbsp;unclear.</p>
<p>Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, earlier this week <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/27/cornyn-trump-infrastructure-might-not-happen-2018-430097">suggested</a> that finding time to pass major infrastructure legislation this year could be challenging.</p>
<p>But he told <em>Route Fifty</em> on Thursday that he&rsquo;d spoken with Carper about these remarks and told him that he didn&rsquo;t want his comments &ldquo;to come across as more negative than I intended.&rdquo; And he said he was not ruling out the possibility of moving ahead with legislation.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I intend to do everything I can to help advance an infrastructure bill, but I also recognize the challenges of doing it in this environment and with limited time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re gonna try.&rdquo;</p>Bill LuciaThu, 01 Mar 2018 18:40:06 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/03/epw-infrastructure-draft/146325/InfrastructureThe Port of Newark in New JerseyShutterstockTrump's EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Realhttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/trump-epa-environmental-racism/146331/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/san_jose/medium.jpeg"
alt="San Jose, California"
title="San Jose, California"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>&ldquo;Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east.&rdquo; Marvin Gaye wasn&rsquo;t an environmental scientist, but his 1971 single &ldquo;Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)&rdquo; provides a stark and useful environmental analysis, complete with warnings of overcrowding and climate change. The song doesn&rsquo;t explicitly mention race, but its place in Gaye&rsquo;s&nbsp;<em>What&rsquo;s Going On</em>&nbsp;album portrays a black Vietnam veteran, coming back to his segregated community and envisioning the hell that people endure.</p>
<p>Gaye&rsquo;s prophecies relied on the qualitative data of storytelling&mdash;of long-circulated anecdotes and warnings within black communities of bad air and water, poison, and cancer. But those warnings have been buttressed by study after study indicating that people of color face disproportionate risks from pollution, and that polluting industries are often located in the middle of their communities.</p>
<p>Late last week, even as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Trump administration continued a plan to dismantle many of the institutions built to address those disproportionate risks, researchers embedded in the EPA&rsquo;s National Center for Environmental Assessment released a study indicating that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. Specifically, the study finds that people in poverty are exposed to more fine particulate matter than people living above poverty. According to the study&rsquo;s authors, &ldquo;results at national, state, and county scales all indicate that non-Whites tend to be burdened disproportionately to Whites.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The study focuses on particulate matter, a group of both natural and manmade microscopic suspensions of solids and liquids in the air that serve as air pollutants. Anthropogenic particulates include automobile fumes, smog, soot, oil smoke, ash, and construction dust, all of which have been linked to serious health problems. Particulate matter was named a&nbsp;<a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/122/9/ehp.1408092.pdf">known definite carcinogen</a>&nbsp;by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and it&rsquo;s been&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061002182639/http://epa.gov/pm/health.html">named by the EPA</a>&nbsp;as a contributor to several lung conditions, heart attacks, and possible premature deaths. The pollutant has been implicated in both asthma prevalence and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200509-1393OC">severity</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1310931/">low birth weights</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291007/">high blood pressure</a>.</p>
<p>As the study details, previous works have also linked disproportionate exposure to particulate matter and America&rsquo;s racial geography. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412016301386">2016 study in&nbsp;</a><em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412016301386">Environment International</a></em>&nbsp;found that long-term exposure to the pollutant is associated with racial segregation, with more highly segregated areas suffering higher levels of exposure. A 2012 article in&nbsp;<em>Environmental Health Perspectives</em>&nbsp;found that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3546368/">overall levels of particulate matter exposure</a>&nbsp;for people of color were higher than those for white people. That article also provided a breakdown of just what kinds of particulate matter counts in the exposures. It found that while differences in overall particulate matter by race were significant, differences for some key particles were immense. For example, Hispanics faced rates of chlorine exposure that are more than double those of whites. Chronic chlorine inhalation is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4672864/">known for degrading cardiac function</a>.</p>
<p>The conclusions from scientists at the National Center for Environmental Assessment not only confirm that body of research, but advance it in a top-rate public-health journal. They find that black people are exposed to about 1.5 times more particulate matter than white people, and that Hispanics had about 1.2 times the exposure of non-Hispanic whites. The study found that people in poverty had about 1.3 times more exposure than people above poverty. Interestingly, it also finds that for black people, the proportion of exposure is only partly explained by the disproportionate geographic burden of polluting facilities, meaning the magnitude of emissions from individual factories appears to be higher in minority neighborhoods.</p>
<p>These findings join an ever-growing body of literature that has found that both polluters and pollution are often disproportionately located in communities of color. In some places, hydraulic-fracturing oil wells&nbsp;<a href="https://grist.org/climate-energy/fracking-waste-more-likely-to-be-located-in-poor-communities-and-neighborhoods-of-color/">are more likely to be sited in those neighborhoods</a>. Researchers have found the presence of benzene and other dangerous aromatic chemicals&nbsp;<a href="http://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&amp;context=mgmt_faculty">to be linked to race</a>. Strong racial disparities&nbsp;<a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/alixwinter/files/sampson_winter_2016.pdf">are suspected in the prevalence of lead poisoning</a>.</p>
<p>It seems that almost anywhere researchers look, there is more evidence of deep racial disparities in exposure to environmental hazards. In fact, the idea of environmental justice&mdash;or the degree to which people are treated equally and meaningfully involved in the creation of the human environment&mdash;was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/fighting-environmental-racism-in-north-carolina">crystallized in the 1980s</a>&nbsp;with the aid of&nbsp;<a href="http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unitedchurchofchrist/legacy_url/13567/toxwrace87.pdf?1418439935">a landmark study</a>&nbsp;illustrating wide disparities in the siting of facilities for the disposal of hazardous waste. Leaders in the environmental-justice movement have posited&mdash;in places as prestigious and rigorous as United Nations publications and numerous peer-reviewed journals&mdash;that environmental racism exists as the inverse of environmental justice, when environmental risks are allocated disproportionately along the lines of race, often without the input of the affected communities of color.</p>
<p>The idea of environmental racism is, like all mentions of racism in America, controversial. Even in the age of climate change, many people still view the environment mostly as a set of forces of nature, one that cannot favor or disfavor one group or another. And even those who recognize that the human sphere of influence shapes almost every molecule of the places in which humans live, from the climate to the weather to the air they breathe, are often loathe to concede that racism is a factor. To many people, racism often connotes purposeful decisions by a master hand, and many see existing segregation as a self-sorting or poverty problem. Couldn&rsquo;t the presence of landfills and factories in disproportionately black neighborhoods have more to do with the fact that black people tend to be disproportionately poor and thus live in less desirable neighborhoods?</p>
<p>But last week&rsquo;s study throws more water on that increasingly tenuous line of thinking. While it lacks the kind of complex multivariate design that can really disentangle the exact effects of poverty and race, the finding that race has a stronger effect on exposure to pollutants than poverty indicates that something beyond just the concentration of poverty among black people and Latinos is at play. As the study&rsquo;s authors write: &ldquo;A focus on poverty to the exclusion of race may be insufficient to meet the needs of all burdened populations.&rdquo; Their finding that the magnitude of pollution seems to be higher in communities of color than the number of polluters suggests, indicates that regulations and business decisions are strongly dependent on whether people of color are around. In other words, they might be discriminatory.</p>
<p>This is a remarkable finding, and not only because it could provide one more policy linkage to any number of health disparities, from heart disease to asthma rates in black children that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/07/481092103/scientsts-seek-genetic-clues-to-why-asthma-is-deadlier-in-blacks">are double those of white children</a>. But the study also stands as an implicit rebuke to the very administration that allowed its release.</p>
<p>Under the guidance of President Trump and Administrator Scott Pruitt, the EPA has begun to walk back already anemic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-garcia-pruitt-environmental-justice_us_5a565eede4b03bc4d03d77b2">federal environmental-justice work</a>, putting a stop to some civil-rights investigations and replacing or firing many of the scientists with deep technical knowledge of the subject. Last year, facing cuts to the environmental-justice program that seem likely to continue,&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09032017/epa-environmental-justice-mustafa-ali-flint-water-crisis-dakota-access-pipeline-trump-scott-pruitt">former assistant associate administrator</a>&nbsp;Mustafa Santiago Ali resigned. Further changes to move the offices of environmental justice into a policy office staffed by Pruitt hires promise to further reduce the autonomy of life-long environmental-justice staffers and reduce the effectiveness of their work.</p>
<p>More broadly, with a defiant stance against climate and environmental science, Trump and Pruitt have begun a rollback of environmental protections. Pruitt&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/1/29/16684952/epa-scott-pruitt-director-regulations">appears to be</a>&nbsp;dismantling Clean Air Act provisions at every turn, and while Trump&rsquo;s promises to save the coal industry have produced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/22/trump-pledged-to-revive-coal-industry-little-has-changed-in-a-year.html">no real policy in his first year</a>, there are still opportunities in 2018 and beyond. And while all these actions in the aggregate will likely increase the amount of particulate matter in the air for everyone, the White House&rsquo;s own research shows what Marvin Gaye saw 47 years ago: The burden will be increased most on people of color.</p>Vann R. Newkirk II, The AtlanticThu, 01 Mar 2018 10:43:13 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/trump-epa-environmental-racism/146331/Health & Human ServicesSan Jose, California#MeToo Movement Fuels a 1970s Comeback: The ERAhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/metoo-movement-1970s-comeback/146330/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/metoo/medium.jpeg"
alt="The 2018 Women&#39;s March on Jan. 20 in New York City."
title="The 2018 Women&#39;s March on Jan. 20 in New York City."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/metoo-movement-fuels-a-1970s-comeback-the-era">originally published</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;</em>Stateline<em>, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Marsha Mercer.</em></p>
<p>Scott Surovell was a baby in a stroller when his mother took him to hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment in the early 1970s, and growing up, he often heard stories about the need for the ERA.</p>
<p>Now a Democratic state senator in Virginia, the 46-year-old has introduced a bill to ratify the ERA for the last six years, three when he was a member of the Virginia House and three in the Senate. Surovell has fallen short every time &mdash; most recently Feb. 9, when House and Senate committees quashed it. The Republican committee chairmen said floor votes were improper because the time limit for ratification set by Congress expired in 1982.</p>
<p>This year&rsquo;s loss came despite a spirited demonstration by more than a hundred supporters in the Capitol, who sang &ldquo;We Shall Overcome&rdquo; and shouted &ldquo;Shame! Shame!&rdquo;</p>
<p>Many Americans either think the ERA is already part of the U.S. Constitution or that it has gone the way of John Travolta&rsquo;s white leisure suit in &ldquo;Saturday Night Fever.&rdquo; But the fight goes on, and it is drawing fresh momentum from the 2016 election and the #MeToo movement.</p>
<p>The Constitution says an amendment must be approved by three-fourths of the states. But it does not mention a deadline, so supporters argue that Congress can extend the 1982 ERA deadline again, or waive it. The 27th Amendment on congressional pay raises, for example, was ratified 203 years after Congress proposed it.</p>
<p>Nevada last March became the 36th state to approve the ERA, meaning that supporters need only two more states to reach the 38 required for ratification. Before Nevada, the last state to ratify had been Indiana in 1977.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The votes have all been hair-breadth losses &mdash; until Nevada,&rdquo; said Roberta W. Francis, ERA education consultant for the Alice Paul Institute, a nonprofit in New Jersey that advocates for women. &ldquo;This is a time when there&rsquo;s a lot more energy under the ERA.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Besides Nevada and Virginia, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/states.htm">states that did not ratify</a>&nbsp;by the 1982 deadline are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.</p>
<p>Twenty-three states have added equal rights amendments to their state constitutions, mostly during the years the national ERA effort was moribund. Oregon added an equal rights guarantee to its Constitution in 2014, and legislators in Delaware and Vermont are working on state ERAs this year.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re seeing a sea change where it&rsquo;s becoming much harder to deny the truths of women&rsquo;s voices,&rdquo; said Georgia state Sen. Nan Orrock, a Democrat who has worked to ratify the ERA during 31 years in the Legislature. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a palpable sense of women on the move.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Nevada Surprise</strong></p>
<p>The federal ERA&rsquo;s main provision states that &ldquo;equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.&rdquo;</p>
<p>An ERA was first introduced in Congress in 1923, and Congress approved it in 1972, sending it to the states for ratification with a deadline of 1979, and extending it in 1978, to 1982.</p>
<p>In the current Congress, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, have proposed removing the deadline, allowing the ERA to become part of the Constitution as soon as a 38th state ratifies it. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, would start over with new language in a &ldquo;fresh start&rdquo; amendment.</p>
<p>One question mark is how to count the five states &mdash; Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota &mdash; that later rescinded their ratifications. Courts have not ruled whether rescission is lawful.</p>
<p>In Nevada, the ERA&rsquo;s prospects were bleak until just recently. Democratic Nevada state Sen. Pat Spearman got nowhere when she pushed for ERA ratification in 2015.</p>
<p>&ldquo;People would tell me it was nothing more than a stunt, it didn&rsquo;t mean anything, and we shouldn&rsquo;t be wasting people&rsquo;s time,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>But when Democrats won control of the Nevada Legislature in 2016, Spearman saw her chance. Another advantage: Female lawmakers now make up about 40 percent of the Nevada Legislature, as much as any state.</p>
<p>Last March, the Nevada Senate passed the measure 13-8, with all Democrats and one Republican female senator voting in favor. In the Nevada Assembly, the vote was 28-14, again with all Democrats and one Republican woman voting for passage.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you had called me in mid-2016, I would not have said Nevada would ratify,&rdquo; said Bettina Hager, Washington, D.C., director of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women&rsquo;s Equality, an advocacy group.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What happened was everything was lined up,&rdquo; Hager said. &ldquo;You need three things to be in play: a strong lead sponsor, advocates working on the ground, and the makeup of the Legislature. Nobody was expecting it to go that well.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Illinois as Epicenter</strong></p>
<p>Illinois, long the epicenter of the Stop ERA movement, is poised to be a battleground once again.</p>
<p>State Sen. Heather Steans, a Democrat, said a number of Republicans who support the ERA but fear a challenge from the right have told her privately they will vote for it in April, after the March 20 primary.</p>
<p>Pro-ERA groups have formed a coalition that is sponsoring screenings around the state of a documentary about women, &ldquo;Equal Means Equal.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Michelle Fadeley, the Illinois chapter president for the National Organization for Women, said for the last six months she has been speaking at least four times a month to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-action-ridge-era-tl-0111-20180109-story.html">large audiences</a>&nbsp;at screenings. &ldquo;We are highly hopeful it&rsquo;s going to happen this year in Illinois.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Phyllis Schlafly, who was born in St. Louis and lived in Alton, Illinois, was the face of the national fight against the ERA during the 1970s and early &rsquo;80s. Schlafly argued that the amendment would lead to coed bathrooms, require women to be drafted into the military and taxpayers to pay for abortions, among other things.</p>
<p>Over the years, the kinds of changes in society Schlafly warned about have come to pass &mdash; without the ERA. Same-sex marriage and adoption by gay couples are legal, women voluntarily serve in combat, and mothers can be required to pay child support.</p>
<p>Schlafly died in 2016 at 92, but the Eagle Forum she founded continues the fight, using many of her arguments.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;You could compel women to be drafted and put into combat,&rdquo; said Elise Bouc, chairwoman of Stop ERA Illinois. &ldquo;Now they have a choice, but they&rsquo;d have to be drafted in equal ratios to men and placed in equal ratios in front-line combat.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Catholic Conference of Illinois, which lobbies on behalf of church members in the state Capitol, also plans to oppose the ERA, said Bob Gilligan, conference executive director. The conference did not take a stand the last two legislative sessions, when it was focused on tax issues involving church schools.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This issue has been around since 1972, and many believe the clock has expired with the time allotted to pass the ERA,&rdquo; Gilligan said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re also opposed because the language should more accurately reflect current issues.&rdquo; He said his group is worried that courts might use the ERA to mandate publicly funded abortions, or force Catholic hospitals to perform gender reassignment surgeries. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Stuck in the &rsquo;70s?</strong></p>
<p>But some legal scholars have the opposite worry: that the 1970s ERA isn&rsquo;t expansive enough.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My idea for the ERA today is we should not be stuck in the 1970s,&rdquo; said Julie C. Suk, professor at Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, who has studied equal rights measures around the world.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need to start thinking about remaining inequalities &mdash; persistent pay inequity, lack of accommodation for pregnancies, and lack of paid parental leave,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Will the ERA help us solve these problems or stand in our way?&rdquo;</p>
<p>The current ERA language prohibits discrimination by states and the federal government but not corporations. Judges could decide what the amendment covers, Suk said, adding that for judges to understand the amendment&rsquo;s intent, supporters need to be loud.</p>
<p>In Virginia, Surovell is planning his strategy for next year.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to find a Republican chief sponsor,&rdquo; he said, noting that the ERA has bipartisan support in the General Assembly, and two Republicans on the Senate Rules Committee voted in favor.</p>
<p>&ldquo;All politicians &mdash; Republican and Democrat &mdash; need to be aware that women are very upset right now with what&rsquo;s going on in Washington,&rdquo; Surovell said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re looking for an affirmative story.&rdquo;</p>Marsha Mercer, The Pew Charitable TrustsThu, 01 Mar 2018 10:29:46 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/03/metoo-movement-1970s-comeback/146330/ManagementThe 2018 Women's March on Jan. 20 in New York City.Rainmaker Photo via AP ImagesThis State Saved $240 Million in Health Care Spendinghttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/oregon-health-care-spending/146327/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/health/medium.jpeg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Investment in primary care results in savings in overall health care spending. This has been empirically proven in the state of Oregon. Current innovation in Oregon provides a real world example that can be studied by policy makers, insurers, health care organizations, and consumers for reform and health systems improvement advocacy. After all, if someone has identified what is effective, why reinvent the wheel?</p>
<p>Health care spending in the United States in 2016 was $3.4 trillion, or 17.8% of GDP. By the year 2025, spending in the US is expected to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2017/02/16/spending-growth">19.9% of GDP</a>. This cost trajectory is unsustainable. Furthermore, it is ineffective. What are we getting in return for spending more money on health care than any other developed nation in the world? Perhaps not much. Though the United States spends more money on health care services than any other country, our health outcomes leave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0011_health-outcomes">much to be desired</a>. Management of diabetes, asthma, and safety during childbirth in the US is among the worst in the world. Whatever is being done is obviously broken. And, continued status quo thinking, and the recycling of failed experiments, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while it sinks.</p>
<p>If mere spending were the solution, the US would have the best care and outcomes compared to any nation. Such is not the case. Why?&nbsp;Health care spending in the US generally promotes utilization of services&mdash;apart from outcomes&mdash;as opposed to effective, proactive, whole-person care. This is akin to a mechanic getting paid to touch or manipulate a car without actually repairing it&mdash;or, inspecting and repairing a transmission after the gears no longer shift, rather than address early warning signs, or perform routine maintenance.</p>
<p>There is a better way. In 2009, the Oregon legislature established the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/oha/hpa/csi-pcpch/pages/index.aspx">Patient-Centered Primary Care Home</a>&nbsp;(PCPCH) program. This is a voluntary program through which primary care clinics can receive recognition for implementing standards of care from a tiered menu. A diverse group of health care professionals from around the state met to design the standards. Since that time, dedicated teams of professionals in Oregon have devoted resources to implementing the PCPCH Program standards in their daily operations.</p>
<p>As of the writing of this article, there are over 600 clinics in Oregon with PCPCH recognition.&nbsp;The foundation of the PCPCH model consists of 6 Core Attributes that promote care which is: accessible, accountable, comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, and patient- and family-centered.</p>
<p>What has been achieved since implementation of the PCPCH program in Oregon? Excellent question. Here are the most recent findings from a multi-year study from Portland State University:</p>
<ul>
<li>$240 million in savings in the first three years of the program.</li>
<li>$41 savings per patient, per quarter.</li>
<li>Every $1 increase in spending in primary care resulted in $13 in savings in overall spending. (<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/CSI-PCPCH/Documents/PCPCH-Program-Implementation-Report-Sept2016.pdf">Full report</a>.)</li>
</ul>
<p>And, it is not just Oregon that is excited about the Portland State University findings. The PCPCH program is catching the interest and attention of organizations overseas&mdash;namely in Australia and South Korea. In 2015 and 2017, health care professionals from Australia visited the PCPCH program in Portland. And in April 2018, an even larger group of Australian visitors plans to visit for a third time, representing professionals affiliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wentwest.com.au/">WentWest</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="http://ahha.asn.au/">Australian Healthcare &amp; Hospitals Association</a>. Additionally, in the summer of 2017, physicians in health care leadership positions from Seoul University National Hospital visited the PCPCH program. They have plans to return in 2018 for an extended, in-depth stay to learn more about the innovation occurring in Oregon.</p>
<p>Here is a brief peek under the hood of the PCPCH Program structure and operations:</p>
<p>The PCPCH program lives within the Transformation Center, which is the hub for innovation and quality improvement for Oregon&rsquo;s health system transformation efforts to achieve better health, better care and lower costs for all. To obtain recognition, a primary care clinic must submit an application and supporting documentation via an online portal. Once the application and documentation are reviewed and approved by program staff, the clinic receives PCPCH recognition at a given tier level. There are 5 tiers, with tier 1 being the most attainable and basic, and tier 5 (or, 5 STAR) being the highest and most challenging to achieve.</p>
<p>Once a clinic formally receives PCPCH recognition, the clinic is also required to have an onsite, at-the-clinic visit conducted by PCPCH team members. The purpose of the site visit is twofold. First, to verify the clinic has implemented the operations it attested to in its application and, second, to explore opportunities for the PCPCH team to support the clinic in its improvement efforts. The PCPCH site visit team doesn&rsquo;t just show up at the clinic, point out deficiencies, then wish the clinic all the best. To the contrary, the team uses visits as an opportunity to engage, support, and build a working relationship with the primary care practice in its improvement efforts. There is no fee for the application, site visit, or post-visit support. (For more information on the PCPCH site visit process, check out&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pcpci.org/resources/webinars/pcpch-site-visits-what-expect">this webinar</a>.)</p>
<p>Investment in primary care results in cost savings. There is strong evidence to support this. Consequently, primary care must be an integral part of any truly effective health care reform strategy. Health care policy, payment, and delivery design need to be consistent with that to which the evidence points. And, the evidence points squarely at primary care.</p>Chris Carrera, QuartzThu, 01 Mar 2018 10:14:47 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/03/oregon-health-care-spending/146327/Health & Human ServicesThese Local Public Sector Workers Are Scarce and in High Demandhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/bus-driver-worker-shortage/146320/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/03/01/school_bus/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government news that caught </em>Route Fifty<em>&rsquo;s attention ...</em></p>
<p><strong>WORKFORCE | </strong>Walking around the <strong>Boylan Heights</strong> neighborhood in <strong>Raleigh, North Carolina</strong> on Wednesday, <em>Route Fifty</em> noticed a hot pink lawn sign posted by <strong>Wake County Public School System</strong> outside a local school. The message: &ldquo;<strong>Flex Hours. Flashy Company Car. Bus Drivers Wanted</strong>.&rdquo; Like many jurisdictions around the nation, Wake County, the second most-populous jurisdiction in North Carolina, has been dealing with a bus-driver shortage thanks to &ldquo;<strong>uncompetitive salaries</strong>&rdquo; and a high turnover rate. In September, the Wake County school board voted to use <strong>$2.2 million in state funding</strong> to increase bus driver pay. It&rsquo;s a common problem across the nation. In <strong>Delaware</strong>, the <strong>Indian River</strong> school district is currently six drivers short, but <strong>needs more than 10 drivers</strong> to adequately cover existing routes and the need for substitute drivers. The reason for the shortage there is similar: Low pay and split shifts. In <strong>Albemarle County, Virginia</strong>, which recently held a job fair to fill vacant school bus driver positions, the local district has&nbsp;<strong>only had enough drivers for one month out of the past eight years</strong>. [<a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article171406312.html"><em>The News &amp; Observer</em></a>; <a href="http://delawarepublic.org/post/ongoing-bus-driver-shortage-indian-river-district-could-affect-field-trips-sports"><em>Delaware Public Media</em></a>; <a href="http://www.nbc29.com/story/37583473/albemarle-county-hosts-job-fair-to-attract-new-school-bus-drivers"><em>WVIR-TV / NBC29</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There are plenty of transit agencies and other public sector orgs around looking for bus drivers around the U.S., including the public schools in Wake County NC <a href="https://t.co/tUJp69rshB">pic.twitter.com/tUJp69rshB</a></p>
&mdash; Michael E. Grass (@mgrass) <a href="https://twitter.com/mgrass/status/968936277889437697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p><strong>LAW ENFORCEMENT |</strong> While 48 states have laws generally prohibiting firearms at K-12 schools, &ldquo;<strong>there are several common exceptions written into the laws,</strong>&rdquo; according to the <strong>National Conference of State Legislatures</strong>. In at least 19 states&mdash;<strong>Alaska</strong>, <strong>Arizona</strong>, <strong>Connecticut</strong>, <strong>Georgia</strong>, <strong>Idaho</strong>, <strong>Kansas</strong>, <strong>Louisiana</strong>, <strong>Massachusetts</strong>, <strong>Michigan</strong>, <strong>Montana</strong>, <strong>New Jersey</strong>, <strong>New York</strong>, <strong>Nevada</strong>, <strong>Oregon</strong>, <strong>South Dakota</strong>, <strong>Texas</strong>, <strong>Utah</strong>, <strong>Vermont</strong> and <strong>West Virginia</strong>&mdash;there are statutes that allow anyone to carry a firearm at a school as long as they have permission from a state authority. [<a href="https://medium.com/@NCSLorg/carrying-firearms-in-k-12-schools-a-policy-snapshot-5943be49eb02"><em>NCSL via Medium</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>New Mexico </strong>has the <strong>highest number of untested rape kits per capita in the nation</strong>, something that has recently attracted national media attention from NBC. <strong>Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller</strong>, who as state auditor found <strong>54,000 untested rape kits</strong> in the state, signed an executive order in January calling on the <strong>Albuquerque Police Department</strong> and the <strong>Albuquerque Sexual Assault Evidence Response Team</strong> to create a plan to clear the city&rsquo;s rape kit backlog. &ldquo;If we put the same kind of effort that we did into building a new fountain downtown, we could have eliminated half the rape backlog,&rdquo; Keller said. [<em><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/leftfield/video/tackling-albuquerque-s-rape-kit-backlog-1171834435891">NBC News</a></em>;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/1139494/abq-rape-kit-backlog-featured-on-national-news.html"><em>Albuquerque Journal</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-youtube"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="embedded" data-embed-src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_FnlGeNvzr4?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_FnlGeNvzr4?wmode=transparent"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>#METOO | Denver Mayor Michael Hancock</strong> released &ldquo;<strong>an extraordinary video apology</strong>&rdquo; on Tuesday for what&rsquo;s been described as &ldquo;<strong>inappropriate</strong>&rdquo; behavior involving Denver Police Det. <strong>Leslie Branch-Wise</strong>, who was part of the mayor&rsquo;s security detail at the time. In the video, the mayor said that &ldquo;<strong>text messages in 2012 blurred the lines between being a friend and being a boss</strong>.&rdquo; However, Hancock said, &ldquo;<strong>let me be clear: My behavior did not involve sexual advances or inappropriate physical contact.</strong>&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/investigations/denver-mayor-michael-hancock-apologizes-after-police-detective-accuses-him-of-sexual-harassment"><em>KMGH-TV / The Denver Channel</em></a>; <a href="http://www.westword.com/news/mayor-michael-hancock-confesses-to-innappropriately-texting-leslie-branch-wise-10038853"><em>Westword</em></a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FnlGeNvzr4&amp;feature=youtu.be"><em>YouTube</em></a>]</p>
<p>Democratic leaders in <strong>North Carolina</strong> are calling on one of their own, state <strong>Rep. Duane Hall</strong>, to step down after detailed allegations surfaced of &ldquo;<strong>persistent sexual innuendo from the three-term legislator and, in some cases, repeated, unwanted sexual overtures.</strong>&rdquo; State Democratic Party Chairman <strong>Wayne Goodwin</strong> said: &ldquo;These are serious allegations and Representative Hall should step down.&rdquo; [<a href="http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/02/28/top-democrats-call-rep-duane-hall-resign-amid-sexual-misconduct-allegations/"><em>North Carolina Policy Watch</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>TRANSPORTATION SAFETY |</strong> A <strong>Utah</strong> House committee this week approved a &ldquo;<strong>safe on red</strong>&rdquo; proposal that would <strong>allow motorists to proceed through a red traffic signal after a complete stop </strong>if there isn&rsquo;t any other traffic coming. &ldquo;<strong>This is a safe-on-red bill. It&rsquo;s not a run-a-red-light bill</strong>,&rdquo; according to the bill&rsquo;s sponsor, state <strong>Rep. Ken Ivory</strong>. The <strong>Utah Department of Transportation</strong> opposes the bill, which now advances to the full House. [<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/02/27/lawmakers-advance-bill-to-allow-drivers-to-run-red-lights-if-no-other-cars-are-present/"><em>The Salt Lake Tribune</em></a>]</p>
<p>While a full investigation into <strong>a fatal Amtrak crash</strong> in <strong>Cayce, South Carolina</strong> is still underway, the <strong>National Transportation Safety Board</strong> has released a preliminary report into the collision, where <strong>a passenger train slammed into a CSX freight train on a rail siding</strong> on Feb. 4, killing an Amtrak conductor and engineer. The findings in the preliminary report &ldquo;<strong>mirror a NTSB safety recommendation released earlier this month</strong>&rdquo; which asked the <strong>Federal Railroad Administration</strong> &ldquo;issue an emergency order providing instructions for railroads to follow when signal suspensions are in effect and a switch has been reported relined for a main track.&rdquo; The Amtrak train had been traveling along tracks under the jurisdiction of CSX when it left the main track at a switch that took it onto the rail siding. [<a href="http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article202594144.html"><em>The State</em></a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-iframe"><iframe class="embedded" data-embed-src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d803006.6245616502!2d-121.06823909995747!3d38.1693741539587!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8090a845c01a0381%3A0xdc00f47d61d55d50!2sCalaveras+County%2C+CA!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1519858607469" frameborder="0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d803006.6245616502!2d-121.06823909995747!3d38.1693741539587!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8090a845c01a0381%3A0xdc00f47d61d55d50!2sCalaveras+County%2C+CA!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1519858607469"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>MARIJUANA | </strong>While 57 percent of <strong>California</strong> voters in 2016 gave the thumbs up to the introduction of <strong>legalized recreational marijuana</strong> in the state, that enthusiasm did not extend to local elected officials in <strong>Calaveras County</strong>, located southeast of <strong>Sacramento</strong>. After marijuana growers flocked to the area following the 2016 vote, the <strong>Calaveras County Board of Supervisors</strong> voted to <strong>ban all marijuana cultivation</strong> in their jurisdiction. &ldquo;<strong>We&rsquo;ve spent everything we have to survive and make it as legitimate as we can</strong>,&rdquo; said one medical marijuana cultivator. The county is facing lawsuits seeking to overturn the ban. [<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-calaveras-county-marijuana-20180228-htmlstory.html"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>; <a href="http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_5a048632-1832-11e8-b153-6754446161a4.html"><em>Calaveras Enterprise</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>ENVIRONMENT |</strong> This month, the <strong>South Wastewater Treatment Plant</strong> in <strong>Dodge City, Kansas </strong>has started to produce methanol from raw biogas &ldquo;<strong>captured from the covered anaerobic lagoons</strong>&rdquo; that will be turned into fuel additives in the <strong>Netherlands</strong>. [<a href="http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/20180228/project-goes-live-at-south-wastewater-treatment-plant"><em>Dodge City Daily Globe</em></a>]</p>
<p>A bill introduced in the <strong>Michigan House </strong>would make <strong>large ground-water withdrawals</strong> easier in the state allowing farms and companies to skip a modeling tool used by the <strong>Department of Environmental Quality</strong> to assess such proposals. Instead, applicants could &ldquo;<strong>gain approval by submitting their own experts&#39; analyses that streams and fish would not be adversely impacted</strong>.&rdquo; [<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/02/27/michigan-water-withdrawals-nestle/377747002/"><em>Detroit Free Press</em></a>]</p>Michael GrassWed, 28 Feb 2018 22:59:29 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/bus-driver-worker-shortage/146320/ManagementShutterstockHighway Trust Fund Casts Shadow Over Infrastructure Debatehttp://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/28/gas_station_in_florida/medium.jpg"
alt="A gas station at night in Florida, during 2014."
title="A gas station at night in Florida, during 2014."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Long-term uncertainty about the&nbsp;finances of a main federal&nbsp;account for funding highways and mass transit&nbsp;looms large as discussions continue here in the nation&#39;s capital&nbsp;about the possibility of passing major&nbsp;infrastructure legislation this year.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, emphasized&nbsp;Wednesday that the five-year federal law&nbsp;currently keeping the&nbsp;Highway Trust Fund solvent will lapse in about two years and seven months.</p>
<p>The Trump administration did not attempt to tackle the&nbsp;trust fund&#39;s fiscal problems in an infrastructure proposal it <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-plan/145894/" target="_blank">released Feb. 12</a>.</p>
<p>Shuster indicated that he would like&nbsp;a financial fix for the fund included in any infrastructure legislation that does take shape in the months ahead. &ldquo;I think it has to have something,&rdquo; he said in response to a question about whether he wants to see the fund&#39;s finances addressed in any forthcoming&nbsp;public works&nbsp;package.</p>
<p>The congressman made his remarks a day after the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, John Cornyn, <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/27/cornyn-trump-infrastructure-might-not-happen-2018-430097" target="_blank">said</a> his chamber of Congress would be pressed to find time this year to move a major infrastructure bill.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But Shuster, who <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/bill-shuster-wont-run-re-election-2018">has said</a> he does not plan to seek reelection this year, doesn&#39;t appear to be giving up hope for legislation. He suggested there could be&nbsp;a window of opportunity for passing a public works bill in the &quot;lame duck&quot; congressional session after this fall&#39;s election.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Maybe we could pass it before August recess, hopefully we can,&rdquo; he told a group of state transportation officials&nbsp;gathered here for a meeting. In September and October, he said, &ldquo;political knives&rdquo; would come out in the run-up to the November election.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It could be a lame duck strategy. That we do it after the election,&rdquo; Shuster added. He also cautioned: &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t deal with it now, the trust fund runs out of money in October of 2020.&nbsp;I don&rsquo;t know how in the world we do it next year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Money for the Highway Trust Fund comes&nbsp;mostly from federal fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel. In recent years, these revenues have lagged, creating shortfalls for the fund.</p>
<p>Congress has not acted to raise the gas tax in over two decades and it remains on par with its 1993 level. The federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon.&nbsp;The rate for diesel is 24.4 cents per gallon.</p>
<p>The 2015 Fixing America&rsquo;s Surface Transportation, or FAST, Act provided for $70 billion in general fund transfers to the Highway Trust Fund over the five-year life of the act to backfill the account.</p>
<p>Using such transfers to supplement the fund will have been de facto federal funding policy for 12 years when the FAST Act expires, according to a Congressional Research Service report from January.</p>
<p>President Trump this month pitched the idea of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/14/trump-gas-tax-409647">a 25-cent gas tax increase</a>&nbsp;during a meeting with lawmakers. But&nbsp;this proposal is failing to win support from some pivotal Republicans.</p>
<p>Asked Wednesday about increasing the gas tax, Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, reiterated his position&nbsp;that the idea is a&nbsp;&ldquo;non-starter.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Gains in vehicle fuel efficiency, and the emergence of electric-powered&nbsp;and shared vehicles are some of the trends that threaten to further undermine gas tax&nbsp;revenues in the years ahead.</p>
<p>Shuster argues though, that&nbsp;for now, fuel taxes remain the most realistic&nbsp;way&nbsp;to raise money for transportation spending.</p>
<p>As for mileage-based fees, he said, &quot;I don&#39;t believe that&#39;s ready for prime time.&quot; Although he conceded it&#39;s probably &quot;a generational thing&quot; and that future&nbsp;lawmakers and motorists may be more likely to&nbsp;embrace the idea of vehicle-miles-travelled charges. In the meantime, he said,&nbsp;&quot;we can do something that&#39;s a shorter-term fix.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;The president said 25 cents, I&#39;ve been talking 15 cents,&quot; Shuster told reporters, referring to a gas tax increase. &quot;If you take 15 cents, that&#39;s about two dollars a week for the average American.&quot;</p>
<p>The infrastructure&nbsp;plan the Trump administration issued earlier this month calls for a total of $200 billion of federal spending, mostly on a suite of new grant programs. It aims to generate&nbsp;about $1.5 trillion of investment over a decade in roads, water systems and other infrastructure,&nbsp;when factoring in&nbsp;state, local and private dollars.</p>
<p>Trump&rsquo;s proposal&nbsp;did not identify new revenue streams to pay for spending on programs he proposed. Sen. Tom Carper, of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee told the state transportation officials that figuring out how to pay for added infrastructure spending is&nbsp;&ldquo;the 800 pound gorilla in the room.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Peter DeFazio, of Oregon, the ranking member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, offered a similar assessment of where progress on an infrastructure package&nbsp;is at.</p>
<p>&quot;There is no money,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>DeFazio said he&#39;d stand behind a proposal like the one Trump floated for a 25-cent gas tax increase.</p>
<p>John Schroer is commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and the current president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the group that Shuster, along with the other lawmakers, spoke to on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Schroer worries the funding and attention needed to ensure the Highway Trust Fund remains solvent in the coming years could get undercut if focus among lawmakers and the administration&nbsp;tilts too much toward new programs like those the&nbsp;White House has proposed.</p>
<p>&quot;In the president&rsquo;s package the word &#39;trust fund&#39;&nbsp;was never mentioned,&quot; he told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &quot;I&rsquo;m concerned about that.&quot;</p>
<p>Schroer sees the best pathway forward on infrastructure as combining a solution for&nbsp;Highway Trust Fund revenue shortfalls, with some funding for grant programs like those described in Trump&#39;s proposal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&quot;Shore up the trust fund, maybe with a tax increase,&quot; he said, &quot;and then find some other pay-fors to do the grant programs.&quot;</p>Bill LuciaWed, 28 Feb 2018 19:19:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2018/02/trump-infrastructure-highway-trust-fund/146296/InfrastructureA gas station at night in Florida, during 2014.shutterstockMulvaney Assures State AGs He’s ‘Not the Devil’http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/mick-mulvaney-cfpb-priorities/146304/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/28/mulvaney/medium.jpeg"
alt="Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who also directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau part-time. "
title="Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who also directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau part-time. "
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Mick Mulvaney for the first time outlined the <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>&rsquo;s priorities under his direction for state attorneys general on Wednesday&mdash;namely enforcing laws already on the books and education.</p>
<p>Better known as the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/">Office of Management and Budget</a> director, Mulvaney was appointed by President Trump to oversee CFPB part-time in November.</p>
<p>He sought to reassure the <a href="http://www.naag.org/">National Association of Attorneys General</a>, at their <a href="http://www.naag.org/meetings-trainings/annual-meetings/2018-naag-winter-meeting.php">winter meeting</a> in the nation&rsquo;s capital, that his tenure would bring &ldquo;accountability, transparency and collaboration&rdquo; with them, consumer groups and industry.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Despite what you might have read, I&rsquo;m pretty sure I&rsquo;m not the devil; at least my wife and my mother don&rsquo;t think that I am,&rdquo; Mulvaney said. &ldquo;So all the stuff you&rsquo;ve read about me at CFPB I urge you to take with a grain of salt, except the part about me keeping Elizabeth Warren up at night.&rdquo;</p>
<p>CFPB will run more cost-benefit analyses to determine priorities like debt collection practices, which account for about one-third of all complaints the bureau receives, he said.</p>
<p>Mulvaney defended not asking for money from the <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/">Federal Reserve</a> last quarter because CFPB is sitting on an approximately $170 million reserve fund.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m paying people at the CFPB to do economics research on climate change,&rdquo; Mulvaney said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure how that happened, but we will see if we can&rsquo;t figure out a way to change that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>State AGs will be relied on &ldquo;a lot more&rdquo; for leadership on enforcement, he said, and to advise CFPB when an action is too costly or runs counter to their states&rsquo; best interests.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro asked Mulvaney his philosophy on allowing states to pursue civil actions in federal court under the Consumer Financial Protection Act.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Obviously you don&rsquo;t have to go along, but you do have the power to intervene and stand in opposition,&rdquo; Shapiro said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds to me that your view is it&rsquo;s case-by-case. You&rsquo;re not going to take a blanket approach to oppose or support, and I think it&rsquo;s important that we continue to have that latitude to bring the case.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Mulvaney responded his interest is in spending CFPB efforts on &ldquo;solid legal claims&rdquo; rather than &ldquo;very, very creative legal claims,&rdquo; and in the event of the latter the bureau would &ldquo;get out of the way&rdquo;&mdash;allowing the state in question to file on its own.</p>
<p>Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wanted assurances student debt would remain a CFPB enforcement priority&mdash;<a href="http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2017/09/state-ags-consumer-protections/141270/">some states are considering providing students loan protections</a>&mdash;and that the student debt ombudsman would remain in place.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our priorities will be going after things that are against the law, so if there&rsquo;s activity in that space that is illegal, that is going to be our priority,&rdquo; Mulvaney said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to look for reasons to sue people.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The ombudsman position is statutory and would go unchanged, he added, calling stories about &ldquo;dramatic&rdquo; personnel changes at the bureau inaccurate.</p>
<p>Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller called consumer education an &ldquo;enormous challenge&rdquo; and warned shifting funds away from enforcement would be &ldquo;counterproductive&rdquo; because of the difficulties educating &ldquo;enough people to make a difference.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;In a perfect world, if you did your education absolutely perfectly, you wouldn&rsquo;t have to do any enforcement at all,&rdquo; Mulvaney said. &ldquo;So I think it&rsquo;s simply another circumstance where we&rsquo;re looking at priorities differently than the previous leadership did.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirWed, 28 Feb 2018 16:34:58 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/mick-mulvaney-cfpb-priorities/146304/ManagementOffice of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who also directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau part-time. Alex Brandon / AP PhotoWest Virginia's Teachers End Their Strike—But They're Still Unhappyhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/west-virginias-teachers-strike/146305/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/28/wva_teacher_strike/medium.jpg"
alt="Thousands of teache, ... ]"
title="Thousands of teache, ... ]"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>MARTINSBURG, W. Va. &mdash; West Virginia governor Jim Justice has at last signaled an end to a standoff that has kept all the state&rsquo;s public-school employees and students out of classrooms for days. After a town-hall circuit throughout the state Monday, the Republican governor at a press conference Tuesday evening said he&rsquo;d agreed to raise teachers&rsquo; salaries by 5 percent.</p>
<p>That increase, which would satisfy one of the teachers&rsquo; unions&rsquo; demands, would mark a sizable improvement from the 2 percent raise they were originally going to receive this year and from salary stagnation they&rsquo;d previously experienced since 2014. Employees and children are expected to return to class Thursday&mdash;exactly a week after the strike started&mdash;following a &ldquo;cooling off&rdquo; period Wednesday.</p>
<p>But the teacher dissatisfaction will continue. First, there is a process hurdle to clear: West Virginia&rsquo;s legislature still has to approve the proposed increases, which also include a 3 percent raise for other school personnel. And beyond the legislative uncertainty, the bottom line is that teachers across the Mountain State&rsquo;s 55 counties say the raise does little to assuage the bigger concerns that propelled them to the picket lines in the first place.</p>
<p>Teachers in West Virginia stressed to me on Tuesday that the salary issue pales in comparison to the key problem that prompted the walk-out: the rising costs associated with the state&rsquo;s health-insurance system, the Public Employees Insurance Agency, typically referred to by its acronym PEIA. &ldquo;[People] see us out here and think it&rsquo;s money&mdash;they think it&rsquo;s only about the pay raise. It is&nbsp;so&nbsp;not about the pay raise,&rdquo; Annette Jordan, a teacher at Hedgesville High in Berkeley County, told me as she picketed in front of the school&rsquo;s campus along Route 9. Holding a sign that read, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d take a bullet for YOUR child but PEIA WON&rsquo;T cover it,&rdquo; she explained that because of structural changes to the health-insurance system, her family&rsquo;s monthly premiums would more than double starting July 1. An agreement hasn&rsquo;t yet been reached on PEIA; Justice said on Tuesday that he&rsquo;s going to appoint a task force to &ldquo;try to look for solutions and a permanent fix&rdquo; for the health-insurance system.</p>
<p>Jordan and others also pointed to what they described as a wholesale attack on the teaching profession&mdash;through legislation proposing to lower qualifications and to eliminate seniority protections&mdash;in explaining the reasons for the statewide walk-out. In part because of how little West Virginia pays its teachers&mdash;<a href="http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/2017_Rankings_and_Estimates_Report-FINAL-SECURED.pdf">$45,622 on average</a>&nbsp;in 2016, making it 48th in the country for educator salaries&mdash;districts have had to lower the hiring bar to fill vacancies. A sizable percentage of the instructors who&rsquo;ve been hired for full-time teaching positions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-house-oks-lowering-teacher-criteria-non-fully-certified-teachers/article_5aeccf1a-55e9-5a7b-87e8-5be16cf7db9a.html">lack conventional certification and training</a>: Close to four in 10 instructors teaching math courses for students in grades 7 through 11, for example, are not fully certified. Meanwhile, teachers haven&rsquo;t had a statewide salary raise&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/west-virginia-walkouts-explained-820534">since 2014</a>.</p>
<p>West Virginia has in recent years grappled with&nbsp;<a href="http://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-budget-deficit-could-grow-to-700-million-by-fiscal-year-2019">a budget deficit</a>&nbsp;and a weak economy that Justice and policymakers have said hamper their ability to increase teachers&rsquo; pay and to fully fund PEIA. But critics&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/gazette_opinion/op_ed_commentaries/sean-o-leary-what-could-wv-do-with-million-gazette/article_999f14f0-e53f-5904-bb11-00e610ae24aa.html">argue</a>&nbsp;that politicians&rsquo; resistance to taxing coal, natural gas, and manufacturing corporations is to blame for the lack of funds.</p>
<p>Educators say these realities help explain why West Virginia ranks so poorly compared to other states when it comes to its educational performance. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2017/2017-state-education-grades-map.html?intc=EW-QC17-LFTNAV">received a C-</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Education Week&rsquo;s&nbsp;2017 report card on school quality, and it got one of the worst grades in the nation in the analysis&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/01/04/sources--notes.html">chance for success</a>&rdquo; category, which uses various metrics to &ldquo;look at the role of education in promoting an individual&rsquo;s chance for success over the course of a lifetime.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Teachers and their supporters worry that the upshot of the latest development could be business as usual. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re highly skeptical that this [pay-raise announcement] was meaningful,&rdquo; Audra Slocum, a West Virginia University assistant professor of English education, said in an email on Wednesday. &ldquo;Rather, it was a clear attempt to disrupt the momentum of the teachers.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Others suggested that the move was evidence of how disingenuous Justice had been earlier in the week, when he indicated in his town-hall appearances that the state would struggle to fund even a 2 percent increase. &ldquo;Teachers are frustrated that on Monday governor Justice said, in so many words, &lsquo;too bad.&rsquo; But by Wednesday afternoon, he&#39;d found enough funding&rdquo; to meet the salary demands, said Karla Hilliard, an English teacher at Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County. Governor Justice&rsquo;s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.</p>
<p>Overall, teachers say they&rsquo;re concerned that, absent a genuine, comprehensive shift in how West Virginia treats them and other K-12 employees, school quality will continue to suffer&mdash;and with it the health of the state as a whole. West Virginia&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/11/west-virginia-americas-worst-state-for-business-in-2017.html">shrinking GDP</a>, among other factors, has contributed to severe brain drain, and educators told me schools could be key to abating that trend and reviving the state&rsquo;s economy. &ldquo;You are not going to be able to attract the jobs, the companies, the multinational corporations that West Virginia needs to be competitive without a strong educational system in place. &hellip; Companies are not going to want to come in and have their companies educate their children in a terrible [education system],&rdquo; said Craig Arch, a special-education teacher at Spring Mills High who identified himself as politically conservative.</p>
<p>Improving the quality of the education system without skilled teachers who feel they&rsquo;re valued&mdash;and who are paid like it, they argue. And as much as they love West Virginia&mdash;a deeply felt fidelity to the state was evident throughout my conversations with teachers, almost all of whom were born and raised in the state&mdash;the temptation of better pay and benefits elsewhere is often hard to withstand. There are 720 teacher vacancies statewide.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have to move to make more money&mdash;we can cross the bridge right over here and be in Maryland, and drive right down the road and be in Virginia. We&rsquo;ve got other options without a long commute, that&rsquo;s for sure,&rdquo; said Rebecca Lindsey, a kindergarten teacher at Widmyer Elementary School in Morgan County, in the state&rsquo;s Eastern Panhandle. That&rsquo;s a last resort for the area&rsquo;s teachers, she said, but it could be the only option if West Virginia&rsquo;s politicians continue to show they don&rsquo;t &ldquo;care for our people.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Politicians &ldquo;are fussing about test scores,&rdquo; Lindsey continued. &ldquo;Well, you need to put qualified educators in the classroom if you want your test scores to go up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Jessica Salfia, an English teacher at Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County, emphasized that educators had been striking on behalf of all state workers who are affected by the PEIA&rsquo;s rising costs. &ldquo;The fight is not over,&rdquo; she told me on Wednesday, noting that it would continue in earnest with the upcoming elections in November. &ldquo;Every 2018 candidate needs to make fixing PEIA a major focal point of his or her campaign.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Indeed, as frustrated as teachers remained on Wednesday, they were optimistic about their ability to achieve change in the long term&mdash;and that&rsquo;s largely because of the solidarity they had built, as well as the outpouring of community support. As I drove from picket line to picket line on Tuesday, almost every passing truck honked its horn in support of the demonstrating teachers. &ldquo;Overall, I think teachers have learned a lesson themselves&mdash;that being united and 55 Strong is powerful and has forced change,&rdquo; Spring Mills High&rsquo;s Hilliard said. &ldquo;Although there&rsquo;s still unrest, we&rsquo;ve taken a step in the right direction.&rdquo;</p>Alia Wong, The AtlanticWed, 28 Feb 2018 16:21:50 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/west-virginias-teachers-strike/146305/ManagementThousands of teache, ... ]ShutterstockRewards Program Encourages SNAP Recipients to Make Healthy Choiceshttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/rewards-program-encourages-snap-recipients-healthy-choices/146293/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/28/farmers_market_produce/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/02/28/rewards-program-encourages-snap-recipients-to-make-healthy-choices">originally published</a> by </em>Stateline<em>, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Teresa Wiltz.</em></p>
<p>Cities and states are trying new ways to entice food stamp recipients to eat their fruits and vegetables.</p>
<p>One approach that&rsquo;s gaining popularity: offering rebates to low-income families when they buy fresh produce. A program in Massachusetts was so popular that it ran out of rebate money and had to be suspended.</p>
<p>By rewarding food stamp recipients for making healthy choices, advocates hope to encourage low-income people to eat more fruits and vegetables.</p>
<p>Buying fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive&mdash;especially for families trying to live on $126 a person, the average monthly food stamp benefit in 2017. That&rsquo;s $1.40 for a meal.</p>
<p>But even as food advocates are trying to make these programs work, they worry that efforts underway in Washington could eliminate them.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump this month proposed slashing benefits under the federal food stamp program by nearly 30 percent. To help cut costs, food stamp recipients would get a box of canned and packaged goods rather than using their benefits to choose their own food&mdash;an idea that food security researchers and advocates say would be a logistical nightmare.</p>
<p>Trump&rsquo;s proposals &ldquo;are about saving money for purposes other than public health,&rdquo; said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. &ldquo;But surely public health is a public good worth supporting?&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump&rsquo;s budget proposal would also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.obpa.usda.gov/19nifa2019notes.pdf">eliminate funding</a>&nbsp;for the Food Insecurity Nutrition Initiative (FINI), a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that gives grants to programs that offer incentives to food stamp recipients for buying produce.</p>
<p>And that has advocates worried. While presidential budgets routinely are considered &ldquo;dead on arrival&rdquo; in Congress, lawmakers are at work on a new farm bill, which would provide funding for the food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the FINI grants.</p>
<p>The FINI program was created by the 2014 farm bill, and Congress appropriated $100 million for the program, to be doled out over a four-year period, through 2018. Programs that get FINI grants all offer incentives to low-income shoppers, such as coupons or loyalty cards. Typically, for every dollar spent on produce, shoppers get another dollar to buy more later.</p>
<p>The program operates in 39 states, but data on how many programs are running nationwide or how many food stamp recipients it serves is not available, said Selina Meiners, a USDA spokeswoman.</p>
<p>FINI grants to cities and states range from $100,000 for small-scale pilot projects to several million dollars for large-scale projects. Sometimes the money goes to nonprofits and farmers markets that work with state agencies that administer the food stamp program; sometimes it goes directly to state-run initiatives. And sometimes local governments and nonprofits match the federal funding.</p>
<p>The chairman of the U.S. Senate agriculture committee, Republican Pat Roberts of Kansas, is working on the new farm bill, but declined to comment on whether he supports the president&rsquo;s proposed cuts. U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, a Republican from Texas who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, also declined to comment.</p>
<p>Eliminating federal funding for the food program &ldquo;would have huge consequences,&rdquo; said Julia Koprak, a senior associate at the Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit funded in part by a FINI grant.</p>
<p>&ldquo;More people will go hungry,&rdquo; Koprak said.</p>
<p>Early evaluations of FINI projects show benefits. An April 2017 report by the Farmers Market Coalition, a Pennsylvania-based advocacy group, found that in 2016, around the country, households on food stamps that were enrolled in the program consumed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wholesomewave.org/sites/default/files/network/resources/files/FINI_FarmersMarkets_Year1_FMC_170426%20FINAL.pdf">16 million to 32 million additional servings of fruits and vegetables</a>. The report found the program generated an estimated $14.3 million in economic activity for participating communities.</p>
<p>But food advocates worry that might not be enough to sway Congress.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to prove that eating more healthfully produces immediate&mdash;measurable&mdash;results,&rdquo; said NYU&rsquo;s Nestle, the author of &ldquo;Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;If budget cutters insist on definitive proof,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not possible to give it to them.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Farmers Market Coupons</strong></p>
<p>FINI got its start in 2014, but the idea of helping low-income Americans spend more of their food dollars on fresh fruit and vegetables has been bouncing around for a while.</p>
<p>About a dozen years ago, a handful of farmers markets in Harlem, the South Bronx, and Takoma Park, Maryland, began offering coupons to food stamp recipients so they could buy more produce.</p>
<p>And in 2008, the farm bill provided $20 million for pilot programs around the country that encourage low-income families to eat more fruits and vegetables.</p>
<p>Massachusetts and Michigan were among the first states to try out that hypothesis on a formal basis, and the success of those pilots prompted Congress to create FINI in 2014.</p>
<p>In 2009, Detroit started offering food stamp recipients &ldquo;<a href="https://www.doubleupfoodbucks.org/about/">Double Up Food Bucks</a>&rdquo; to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at five area farmers markets. The program has now grown to 150 sites across Michigan and has served over 300,000 families.</p>
<p>The Michigan program was able to expand when the USDA in 2015 awarded its administrator, the nonprofit Fair Food Network, a $5 million FINI grant, which was then matched by a private funder.</p>
<p>A Massachusetts program in 2011 started giving food stamp recipients&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/hip/healthy-incentives-pilot-hip-basic-facts">30 cents for every dollar</a>&nbsp;they spent buying produce from local farmers.</p>
<p>The program proved to be successful: Participants spent more on fresh produce&mdash;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/healthy-incentives-pilot-final-evaluation-report">ate more fruits and vegetables</a>.</p>
<p>So last year, with a three-year, $3.4 million FINI grant, Massachusetts expanded the program. Some 35,000 households across the state snapped up nearly all of the matching funds within the year.</p>
<p>Because officials had run through most of the money two years ahead of schedule, the state will temporarily suspend the program from mid-April to July, according to the state&rsquo;s Department of Transitional Assistance.</p>
<p>While the program is suspended, food stamp recipients can still use their benefits to buy produce at farm stands &mdash; just without the rebate.</p>
<p><strong>M&aacute;s Fresco</strong></p>
<p>In 2016, University of California at San Diego received a $3.4 million FINI grant to launch a similar program in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, called&nbsp;<a href="https://ucsdcommunityhealth.org/work/morefresh/">M&aacute;s Fresco/More Fresh</a>.</p>
<p>Local community health workers, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.latinohealthaccess.org/the-promotora-model/">promotoras</a>,&rdquo; armed with computer tablets, go to participating grocery stores to recruit food stamp recipients in predominantly Latino communities.</p>
<p>Once they&rsquo;ve signed up, the recipients use loyalty reward cards to access rebates that double the value of the money they spend on produce. Some people are randomly selected to receive even more benefits, up to $40 a month.</p>
<p>Last year, 1,153 food stamp recipients signed up for the program. This year, the goal is to sign up another 2,000, said Joe Prickitt, senior director of the Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program at UC San Diego Center for Community Health, which runs the program.</p>
<p>The program helps those who get food stamps while spurring on the local economy, providing jobs to retailers, food growers and food distributors, Prickitt said. &ldquo;This is much, much bigger than just providing money to SNAP recipients.&rdquo;</p>Teresa Wiltz, The Pew Charitable TrustsWed, 28 Feb 2018 11:32:48 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/rewards-program-encourages-snap-recipients-healthy-choices/146293/Health & Human ServicesShutterstockDemocratic Congressman Looks to Rekindle Long-Dead Intergovernmental Commissionhttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/gerald-connolly-intergovernmental-relations-commission/146285/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/gerry_connolly/medium.jpg"
alt="Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, during April of 2014."
title="Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, during April of 2014."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; A&nbsp;Virginia congressman wants to see an&nbsp;updated version of a federally-created intergovernmental affairs commission that shut down over two decades ago.</p>
<p>Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat, said Tuesday that he plans to again introduce the Restore the Partnership Act, which would establish a National Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.</p>
<p>This body would be a successor to the dormant Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, or ACIR.</p>
<p>Connolly has unsuccessfully proposed similar legislation in <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/534">past years</a>.</p>
<p>The congressman also cautioned that a current House task force on intergovernmental affairs could hit partisan stumbling blocks if it becomes too focused on deriding federal authority.</p>
<p>Established in 1959, the ACIR ended its activities in 1996. The commission was <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-73/pdf/STATUTE-73-Pg703.pdf">designed</a> as a bipartisan body of 26 members who could study problems, programs and other intergovernmental matters.</p>
<p>Members included representatives of the White House, congressional lawmakers, governors, state legislators, mayors and county officials.</p>
<p>Connolly floated the idea for his bill in a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/western-governors-federalism-house-oversight-committee/146283/">where three western state governors testified</a>. The congressman has previous experience in local government. Prior to his election to Congress, he was chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Virginia.</p>
<p>He currently serves as the ranking Democrat on a special panel, dubbed the <a href="https://speakers-task-force-intergovernmental-affairs-robbishop.house.gov/">Speaker&rsquo;s Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs</a>. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced the task force last&nbsp;May. It held two <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2017/06/us-house-intergovernmental-task/138913/">public</a> <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/management/2017/10/house-intergovernmental-affairs-federalism/141755/">meetings</a> last year.</p>
<p>After Tuesday&rsquo;s hearing, Connolly told <em>Route Fifty</em> there was no timeline for introducing the bill to reestablish an intergovernmental affairs commission and that his hope was that, as part of the speaker&rsquo;s task force, &ldquo;perhaps we could get bipartisan agreement that this is the kind of thing we need.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Whether that&rsquo;s the case, however, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s too early to tell you.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Asked where the task force&#39;s work is headed, Connolly said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo; He added: &ldquo;If where we&rsquo;re headed is a broad critique of the federal government getting into the knickers of the states,&rdquo; Democrats on the task force, he said, are &ldquo;not going to go along with that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He said the jury is out on whether that&rsquo;s the direction the panel is moving.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s certainly where my friend Mr. Bishop and maybe Speaker Ryan want it to go,&rdquo; Connolly said, referring to Rep. Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican&nbsp;who chairs the task force. &ldquo;If they insist on that point of view, and only that point of view, we Democrats will dissent.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you want to talk about: how can we try to make the partnership a more effective one?&quot; he added, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ve got our attention.&rdquo;</p>Bill LuciaTue, 27 Feb 2018 22:08:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/gerald-connolly-intergovernmental-relations-commission/146285/ManagementRep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, during April of 2014.AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteFacebook Continues Its Rural Broadband Questhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/facebook-continues-its-rural-broadband-quest/146286/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/south_carolina_rural_wonderland/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>An&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/02/state-of-connectivity-2017/">estimated 3.8 billion</a>&nbsp;people still can&#39;t get online. As the rest of us increasingly move our lives to the Internet, those without access increasingly fall behind.</p>
<p>While the U.S. government is&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nextgov.com/policy/2018/01/trump-signs-executive-order-streamline-rural-broadband/145067/">undertaking the effort for areas in the U.S. without Internet access</a>, Facebook is juggling multiple initiatives to increase connectivity internationally. The tech company made multiple announcements about the state of these efforts&nbsp;at the 2018 Mobile World Congress.</p>
<p>Specifically, Facebook is joining up&nbsp;with other telecom companies to bring these projects to fruition.</p>
<p>One of these projects is&nbsp;Terragraph, a millimeter-wave wireless technology which relies on the same frequency as hypothetical 5G networks. It will be deployed into field trials in two locations, Budapest and Kuala Lumpur.</p>
<p>Another project, OpenCellular, is available for partner trials. According to Facebook&nbsp; it is a &quot;low-power base station optimized for underserved regions across the globe.&quot;</p>
<p>The Telecom Infra Project has the most partnerships. Initially launchd two years ago, TIP is a collaboration between tech firms to accelerate development of infrastructure for rural areas in need. The project has more than 500 members, with&nbsp;China Unicom, Sprint, and Telenor the latest to join.</p>
<p>&quot;By working together as a community,we believe we can help operators build more robust and flexible networks necessary to meet new technology challenges and unlock new ways of connecting people,&quot;&nbsp;<a href="https://code.facebook.com/posts/218840725330904">wrote&nbsp;Jay Parikh</a>, Facebook&#39;s head of engineering and infrastructure.</p>Caitlin Fairchild, NextgovTue, 27 Feb 2018 21:41:08 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/facebook-continues-its-rural-broadband-quest/146286/Tech & DataShutterstockColorado Lawmakers Poised to Oust 1st of Several Accused Harassers http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/colorado-lawmakersl-accused-harassers/146284/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/colorado_state_capitol_rotunda_qLuPCkN/medium.jpg"
alt="The Rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol"
title="The Rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>Here are state and local government stories that caught </em>Route Fifty<em>&rsquo;s attention ...</em></p>
<p><strong>#METOO </strong>| The 2018 legislative session in Colorado, just a month and a half into its four-month term, has been <strong>rocked by allegations of sexual harassment</strong>. Lawmakers, lobbyists, aides and interns have leveled accusations targeting two Democratic representatives and three Republican senators. Media reports on the accusations have appeared on a regular schedule, lighting up social media and heightening partisan tensions in a building where Democrats control the House and Republicans control the Senate. Chamber leaders, who at first seemed procedurally uncertain how best to address the allegations, eventually tapped an independent group to investigate. The group, <strong>The Employers Council</strong>, has completed its report on perhaps the most high-profile case, the one centered on state <strong>Rep. Steve Lebsock</strong>, a three-term Democrat who&rsquo;s running for state treasurer and who has pushed back hard against allegations, even submitting the results of a polygraph he paid for himself to rebut charges. The case against Lebsock surfaced mainly after allegations made by fellow Democratic <strong>Rep. Faith Winter</strong> were made public. Winter said she decided to speak to the press after it became clear to her that other women in the Capitol may have experienced similar harassment in their dealings with Lebsock. On Tuesday, the conclusions of the independent investigation were read out to the House chamber. House <strong>Majority Leader KC Becker</strong> called the actions detailed by the investigation <strong>&ldquo;egregious.&rdquo;</strong> The House responded by launching caucus deliberations on expelling Lebsock. Observers estimate a full House vote on the matter will come this week. [<a href="https://coloradopolitics.com/sexual-harassment-steve-lebsock/"><em>Colorado Politics</em></a>; <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/27/steve-lebsock-sexual-harassment-allegations-found-credible/"><em>The Denver Post</em></a>] &nbsp;</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">House to introduce resolution today calling for expelling Rep. Steve Lebsock, D-Thornton, over &ldquo;credible&rdquo; accusations. Lebsock tells press they are false and he will fight it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coleg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/copolitics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#copolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/wW2OMUuCIO">pic.twitter.com/wW2OMUuCIO</a></p>
&mdash; Charles Ashby (@OldNewsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/OldNewsman/status/968561634363916288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Five brave women came forward with 11 allegations. All allegations were found credible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/timesup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#timesup</a> I will not be silenced, I will stand up to bullies. Together we will create a workplace that respects everyone and values all voices. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coleg</a></p>
&mdash; Rep Faith Winter (@FaithWinterCO) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaithWinterCO/status/968558003711565825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p><br />
<strong>Minnesota</strong> state legislators, only recently back at work, are also grappling with how to address sexual harassment at the Capitol in St. Paul. <strong>Two of Minnesota&rsquo;s state lawmakers resigned</strong> after credible harassment allegations surfaced in the fall. Last week, House members attended a <strong>first-ever mandatory harassment training</strong>, and on Monday, a committee met to begin reviewing the Legislature&rsquo;s sexual harassment policies. Still, the fact that much of politics is about appearances has left observers skeptical the culture at the Capitol in Minnesota will change. According to the <strong>National Conference of State Legislatures</strong>, 11 states in recent months have proposed changes to their harassment policies. Over the last four months nationwide, <strong>nearly two dozen male state lawmakers have resigned, have said they will resign, or have been forced from leadership</strong> after being accused of harassment or assault. [<a href="https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/02/capitol-minnesota-lawmakers-grapple-addressing-sexual-harassment-capitol"><em>MinnPost</em></a>]</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Interns in state capitols</strong>, who often receive less formal workplace protections than other legislative staffers, <strong>remain particularly vulnerable to harassment</strong>. [<em><a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/02/21/why-statehouse-interns-are-especially-vulnerable-to-sexual-harassment">The Pew Charitable Trusts / Stateline</a></em>]</p>
<p><strong>BORDER SECURITY </strong>| In November, politicians jumped on news that <strong>Border Batrol agent Rogelio Martinez</strong> <strong>died on the job </strong>near Van Horn in West Texas and claimed that Martinez was attacked. But earlier this month the FBI said its ongoing investigation into the death has <strong>found no evidence of foul play</strong> and that agent <strong>Martinez likely died in an accident</strong>. The story demonstrates the way bad politics can hamper good policy, wrote the <em>Houston Chronicle</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If what happened in Van Horn was an accident, the Border Patrol should review training and take the necessary steps to better protect agents in the field. The Border Patrol&#39;s records over the past decade show that agents are far more likely to die in an on-the-job accident than in a confrontation with criminals. Since 2010, one Border Patrol agent was shot to death by a criminal while on duty; one was killed in a friendly fire incident with fellow agents; and 10 were killed in automobile accidents.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>[<a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Outrage-about-a-Texas-border-death-reflects-12655183.php"><em>Houston Chronicle</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>U.S. Customs and Border Protection</strong> has brought its <strong>Predator B drone</strong> back to <strong>San Angelo</strong> in West Texas to conduct security missions. This is the third year in a row Air and Marine Operations has worked its drone above the international border from San Angelo Regional Airport, also known as Mathis Field. The drone operations conducted there in 2016 were the first ever flown out of a civilian airport. The missions have reportedly resulted in 24 arrests and seizure of more than 11,000 pounds of marijuana. [<a href="http://sanangelolive.com/news/business/2018-02-27/border-patrol-returns-drone-operations-san-angelos-mathis-field">San Angelo LIVE!</a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-container embed-youtube"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="embedded" data-embed-src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3m22DJopO_4?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3m22DJopO_4?wmode=transparent"></iframe></div>
</div>
<p><strong>MAYORS </strong>| <strong>Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf</strong> on Tuesday continued to <strong>defend her decision to warn residents</strong> of the possibility that U.S. <strong>Immigration and Customs Enforcement</strong> planned soon to conduct sweeps in the Bay Area. Angry people from around the nation over the last two days phoned her office and leveled online threats, saying federal authorities should &ldquo;lock up&rdquo; &ldquo;<strong>Lawless Libby.&rdquo;</strong> &ldquo;She&rsquo;s on the threshold of obstruction of justice for doing what she did,&rdquo; said former federal prosecutor <strong>Tony Brass</strong>. <strong>&ldquo;</strong>Because you put agents in danger, you put the police in danger and you put neighbors in danger.&rdquo; Schaaf disagreed. &ldquo;I was sharing information in a way that was legal and was not obstructing justice, and it was an opportunity to ensure that people were aware of their rights,&rdquo; she said. [<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/26/mayor-schaaf-receives-threats-after-warning-of-ice-raids/"><em>The Mercury News</em></a>, <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/02/26/oakland-mayor-warning-people-immigration-sweeps/">CBSLocal</a>]</p>
<div class="embed-wrapper big">
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Arrest Lawless Libby! <a href="https://t.co/Zrpuaku0qF">https://t.co/Zrpuaku0qF</a></p>
&mdash; Mama of Boys (@WendyHZ1977) <a href="https://twitter.com/WendyHZ1977/status/968163229984632833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p>Lawyers in <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> delivered dramatic closing arguments on Tuesday in the six-week <strong>corruption trial of Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski</strong>. The case included secretly recorded video of the mayor and his campaign staffers. <strong>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a pay-to-play guy,&rdquo;</strong> Pawlowski told campaign aide Sam Ruchlewicz in a section of tape prosecutors didn&rsquo;t play for the jurors. <strong>&ldquo;What do they get?&rdquo;</strong> asked defense lawyer <strong>Jack McMahon</strong>, referring to Pawlowski&rsquo;s campaign donors. <strong>&ldquo;They get: &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t do pay-to-play&rsquo; and &lsquo;This is not New Jersey.&rsquo;&rdquo;</strong> Prosecutors said the tapes paint a picture of an elected official who knows what he&rsquo;s doing is wrong and whose <strong>&ldquo;paranoia gives way to panic.&rdquo;</strong> [<a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/fbi/mc-nws-allentown-mayor-ed-pawowski-closing-tuesday-20180227-story.html"><em>The Morning Call</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued an executive order Monday banning </strong>the release of mug shots of people killed in officer-involved shootings. He said the images <strong>widen the &quot;historical divide&quot; between police and the community.</strong> A state ethics commission said law enforcement agencies can withhold mug shots but only if a case is under investigation. &quot;While [Lumumba&#39;s] motives may be pure, and he doesn&#39;t want to further divide the community, I fail to see how not allowing the public to know what&#39;s happening isn&#39;t just as divisive. In my view it&#39;s just the opposite,&quot; said local First Amendment attorney <strong>Leonard Van Slyke</strong>. [<a href="https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2018/02/26/mayor-bans-release-mugshots-persons-shot-police/374646002/"><em>Clarion Ledger</em></a>]</p>
<p><strong>Nashville</strong> is reworking rules around how police will protect <strong>Mayor Megan Barry</strong>, whose former bodyguard earned <strong>tens of thousands of dollars in overtime pay while he conducted a romantic affair with the mayor</strong>. In the future, there will be minimal overtime and members will alternate working weekend days, a police spokesman detailed in an email to reporters. [<a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/02/27/nashville-mayor-megan-barry-scandal-metro-police-make-changes-mayoral-security-practices/376495002/"><em>Tennessean</em></a>]</p>John Tomasic, Special to Route FiftyTue, 27 Feb 2018 20:28:57 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/colorado-lawmakersl-accused-harassers/146284/ManagementThe Rotunda of the Colorado State CapitolShutterstockWestern Governors to Congress: More Power Pleasehttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/western-governors-federalism-house-oversight-committee/146283/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/new_mexico_public_land/medium.jpg"
alt="In this May 15, 2014, file photo, Otero cattle rancher association president Gary Stone inspects a newly posted warning sign in Weed, New Mexico. The forest service had closed off areas to prevent damage to New Mexico meadow jumping mouse&#39;s habit."
title="In this May 15, 2014, file photo, Otero cattle rancher association president Gary Stone inspects a newly posted warning sign in Weed, New Mexico. The forest service had closed off areas to prevent damage to New Mexico meadow jumping mouse&#39;s habit."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; The Republican governors of Idaho, New Mexico and Utah told U.S. House lawmakers on Tuesday that they&rsquo;d like to see federal control over regulatory and decision-making processes recalibrated to give states more flexibility and power.</p>
<p>The governors at times zeroed in on programs that have to do with public lands management and environmental permitting, two topics that have garnered attention since President Trump took office. Tuesday&rsquo;s hearing in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee took place as a special House task force on intergovernmental affairs continues its work.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When our political culture mistakenly presumes that the greatest expertise resides in federal agencies, Americans miss out on the lessons already learned by the states,&rdquo; Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said. &ldquo;What we really need is a cultural change within the federal government. Congress and federal agencies must stop viewing state input as merely a box-checking exercise.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Herbert said states should have greater sway over certain parts of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-national-environmental-policy-act">National Environmental Policy Act</a>, or NEPA, process. NEPA is a bedrock environmental law that provides a framework&nbsp;for approving infrastructure and other projects. The governor also suggested states should have a more substantial role carrying out species recovery efforts under the Endangered Species Act.</p>
<p>Idaho Gov. C.L. &ldquo;Butch&rdquo; Otter charged that &ldquo;the limited and narrow powers granted to the federal government by our Constitution have been expanded exponentially.&rdquo; He said this &ldquo;mission creep&rdquo; is most apparent in places where the federal government controls large tracts of public land, which is the situation in many western states.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We find ourselves continually having to ask the federal government: &lsquo;Mother may I?&rsquo;&rdquo; Otter added.</p>
<p>New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez described &ldquo;regulations and edicts from Washington&rdquo; that have thrust &ldquo;rigid and formulaic&rdquo; programs on her state.</p>
<p>Only the three GOP governors from western states offered in-person testimony at the hearing, which was billed as a look at &ldquo;federalism implications of treating states as stakeholders.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, noted that the lack of regional and party diversity among the governors limited the perspectives the committee heard.</p>
<p>&ldquo;No implied criticism at all. I thought it was actually pretty compelling testimony,&rdquo; Connolly said after the hearing. But he added: &ldquo;I would like to have seen, maybe, a broader point of view represented here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Alabama Rep. Gary Palmer, a Republican who chairs the Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on intergovernmental affairs said he&rsquo;d welcome written statements from other governors and that the committee had made a &ldquo;big effort to try to get other governors here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Palmer also said he saw opportunities for incorporating input the governors on hand provided into future legislation. &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s gonna be some issues related to unfunded mandates that would be worked into legislation,&rdquo; he told <em>Route Fifty</em>. &ldquo;What I really hope we do is work on some changes to the permitting, where you&rsquo;ve got states, like western states, where so much of the land is federal land.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Reducing federal permitting and approval times for various projects is one of the pillars of the infrastructure investment proposal that the Trump administration unveiled earlier this month.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s some acknowledgement across party lines that permitting processes can take lengthy amounts of time. But sticking points lie in the details about how to speed things up. Conservation groups have already branded Trump&rsquo;s proposal as a risk to the environment.</p>
<p>Martinez told the committee that her state takes just 10 days to review new oil and gas drilling permits, but that it takes the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, in New Mexico, an average of 250 days, resulting in a backlog of 800 applications.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If the BLM were to delegate its oil and gas review process to New Mexico and to other western states for these resources on federal lands, states like Montana and Utah, it would result in billions of dollars of additional state and federal revenue,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club&rsquo;s lands protection program rejected&nbsp;the governors characterization of BLM permitting. &quot;We don&#39;t know what she&#39;s complaining about,&rdquo; he said by phone. &ldquo;We think BLM, frankly, permits too much oil and gas leasing on federal land.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Sierra Club&rsquo;s New Mexico chapter director, Camilla Feibelman, added by email that environmental oversight and inspection there is &quot;wildly underfunded&rdquo;&nbsp;and said the idea the state would have the budget to quickly process more permits is &quot;out of touch with reality.&quot;</p>
<p>Rep. Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican, chairs a special House panel on intergovernmental issues launched last year, known as the Speaker&rsquo;s Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs. He asked the governors to submit specific recommendations to the task force that might, in their view, improve the interplay between the feds and their states.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Should states have not just standing, which they have, but special standing, in order to sue on issues that are imposed upon you?&rdquo; Bishop suggested.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Consult us at the beginning,&rdquo; Otter said in response to Bishop&rsquo;s solicitation for ideas. &ldquo;Generally what we find is we&rsquo;re invited late to the party.&rdquo; (The &ldquo;party&rdquo; being the federal policy-making process.)</p>
<p>&ldquo;Perfect,&rdquo; Bishop said. &ldquo;Help me find a place that we can statutorily mandate that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The governors indicated they were generally pleased with the direction of federal-state relations under Trump.</p>
<p>Otter highlighted a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/idaho-tests-the-bounds-of-skirting-affordable-care-act-insurance-rules/2018/02/27/114157da-1266-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html?utm_term=.c37b3a4d375c">controversial</a> executive order he signed in January clearing the way for health insurance companies to sell coverage in his state that <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article199999234.html">does not conform</a> to guidelines in the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. He said actions taken by Congress and the White House encouraged him to issue the directive.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Hope abounds,&rdquo; Otter added. &ldquo;I want to express my appreciation to Congress and the current administration for working to restore the standing of states as true partners in governance.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Herbert echoed that view. &ldquo;We are currently enjoying a season of good relationships with many federal agencies,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Many of whom are trying to push decision-making back down to the states.&rdquo;</p>Bill LuciaTue, 27 Feb 2018 19:07:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/western-governors-federalism-house-oversight-committee/146283/ManagementIn this May 15, 2014, file photo, Otero cattle rancher association president Gary Stone inspects a newly posted warning sign in Weed, New Mexico. The forest service had closed off areas to prevent damage to New Mexico meadow jumping mouse's habit.AP Photo/Juan Carlos LlorcaLimits on Federal Gun Research Spur States to Step Inhttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/federal-gun-research-limits-states/146276/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/gun/medium.jpeg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/02/27/limits-on-federal-gun-research-spur-states-to-step-in">originally published</a>&nbsp;by </em>Stateline<em>, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts and was written by Michael Ollove.</em></p>
<p>As deaths from mass shootings have mounted across the United States, some states are moving to collect hard data to guide their decisions about guns &mdash; even as the federal government has retreated from such research in the face of pressure from pro-gun groups.</p>
<p>The New Jersey Legislature, for example, is weighing a measure that would create a gun-violence research center at Rutgers University. The center would be modeled on the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/12176">Firearm Violence Prevention Research Center</a>&nbsp;at the University of California at Davis, which launched last summer with $5 million in state money over five years.</p>
<p>The impetus for both initiatives is the vacuum created by the federal government&rsquo;s virtual abandonment of research into gun violence &mdash; its causes, its patterns, its perpetrators, its victims, and the best ways, based on scientific evidence, to curtail it.</p>
<p>The federal government&rsquo;s reluctance to fund research has had a ripple effect. A study published in the&nbsp;<em>Journal of the American Medical Association</em>&nbsp;last year found that between 2004 and 2015, research related to gun violence was &ldquo;substantially&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2595514">underfunded and understudied</a>&rdquo; compared with other leading causes of death, based on the mortality rates of each. The study said that gun violence research received a paltry 1.6 percent of the funding ($22 million) that would be predicted ($1.4 billion) based on the number of deaths caused by guns &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_06.pdf">36,252 in 2015, according to the CDC.</a></p>
<p>The influence of pro-gun groups has also dissuaded many private foundations from funding such research, according to David Hemenway, who studies gun violence and injury prevention at the T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you fund gun research, you know you&rsquo;ll be attacked, and there are so many other things that need research,&rdquo; Hemenway said. &ldquo;Funders figure they don&rsquo;t need the headaches that come with studying gun violence.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In California and New Jersey, supporters of research say states must pick up the slack.</p>
<p>&ldquo;California essentially said that the federal government wasn&rsquo;t fulfilling its responsibility, so we&rsquo;re going to step into the breach, just as we have with climate change and years before with highway safety,&rdquo; said Garen Wintemute, the director of the new California center and an emergency physician who has studied gun violence for three decades.</p>
<p>The feeling in New Jersey was the same, according to state Sen. Troy Singleton, a Democrat who introduced a separate bill to fund a $400,000 study of gun violence. It passed out of a Senate committee this month.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m dismayed over the political decision that caused the federal government to walk away from studying this issue, which has put us in a dangerous situation nationally,&rdquo; Singleton said. &ldquo;When we develop evidence-based solutions, that&rsquo;s when we&rsquo;re at our best.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The sponsor of the bill to establish a gun research center at Rutgers, Democratic Assemblywoman Joann Downey, said she is more optimistic than ever before about the legislation&rsquo;s chances.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Especially with what happened in Florida,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Our parents are scared. Our teachers are scared. Our students are scared.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>A Shift on Capitol Hill?</strong></p>
<p>In the wake of the killings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida earlier this month, a few congressional Republicans have indicated a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2018/02/22/the-health-202-gun-violence-research-by-the-government-hasn-t-been-funded-in-two-decades-but-that-may-soon-change/5a8dc13e30fb047655a06856/?utm_term=.db790f877cbf">willingness to lift federal restrictions</a>&nbsp;on gun research.</p>
<p>Gun-violence researchers say such a shift would make a huge difference. Without federally funded research, they say, policymakers lack the basic information that would help them make wise policy decisions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What isn&rsquo;t known?&rdquo; Hemenway said. &ldquo;Everything. Everything.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For instance, there are no national studies of who owns guns, how gun owners acquired their weapons, the theft of guns, the number of households with guns, the attributes of a high-quality gun training, or the risk factors associated with gun violence.</p>
<p>Without that knowledge, Hemenway said, &ldquo;How are you supposed to come up with effective policy?&rdquo;</p>
<p>The federal government&rsquo;s withdrawal from gun research began in the late 1990s. Gun researchers such as Hemenway said it was spurred by the first studies indicating that the presence of a firearm in the home increased rather than decreased the chances of gun-related fatalities, either by suicide or homicide. Subsequent studies&nbsp;<a href="http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/1814426/accessibility-firearms-risk-suicide-homicide-victimization-among-household-members-systematic">confirmed those findings</a>.</p>
<p>The studies incensed pro-gun organizations such as the National Rifle Association, which protested to congressional supporters. The result was the Dickey amendment, which Congress added to the 1996 funding bill for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and which bars the agency from using money to &ldquo;advocate or promote gun control.&rdquo; Former U.S. Rep. Jay Dickey, an Arkansas Republican who died last year, eventually expressed regret for the amendment that bears his name.</p>
<p>The Dickey amendment does not explicitly prohibit the CDC from studying gun violence. But it has had a chilling effect on such research, especially since Congress cut the CDC&rsquo;s annual budget by exactly the amount that it had been spending on gun-related research, about $2.6 million a year.</p>
<p>Though the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Justice have continued to hand out small grants for such research, NIH several months ago quietly shelved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/nih-quietly-shelves-gun-research-program">an $11.4 million gun-violence research initiative</a>&nbsp;that President Barack Obama launched in 2013 in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. The initiative has funded 14 firearm related projects over the past 3 years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Many pro-gun groups continue to support the Dickey amendment &mdash; and they are still angry about CDC studies published with federal money.</p>
<p>&ldquo;At the time the amendment was proposed, officials in the CDC were indicating that they were going to use the agency in order to attack firearms ownership &mdash; and to demonize firearms in the same sense as they had demonized tobacco,&rdquo;&nbsp;Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, wrote in an email to&nbsp;Stateline.</p>
<p><strong>Valuable Research</strong></p>
<p>Even if there isn&rsquo;t as much gun research as there should be, Philip Cook, a professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, argues that policymakers should be paying attention to what is being produced.</p>
<p>In a December article in&nbsp;<em>Science</em>, Cook cited published research that shows an&nbsp;<a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6368/1259.full">increase in violent crime</a>&nbsp;as states replaced concealed carry laws with right-to-carry laws. Concealed carry laws gave law enforcement the authority to determine if a gun owner had a justifiable reason to carry a concealed weapon. Right-to-carry laws give most gun owners that right without having to justify themselves.</p>
<p>Similarly, according to Cook&rsquo;s paper, research has shown that laws preventing those with misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence from owning guns have saved lives. Finally, he noted, research showed that laws that increased prison sentences for those using a firearm in an aggravated assault or robbery has reduced the rate of robberies in which a gun is involved.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Despite the relative lack of federal funding in this area, there has been quite a lot of research going on,&rdquo; Cook said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s productive and evidence-based, exactly what is needed to create effective policy.&rdquo;</p>
<p>At UC Davis, Wintemute said his center plans to give California lawmakers what they need to create effective policy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Soon we&rsquo;re going to publish the first large-scale epidemiological study on gun violence in California in 30 years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The reason I know that is because I&rsquo;m the one who did the study 30 years ago.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p>Michael Ollove, The Pew Charitable TrustsTue, 27 Feb 2018 15:38:10 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/federal-gun-research-limits-states/146276/Public SafetyMicrosoft Is Working With Alaska to Reduce Car Deaths on Icy Roadshttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/microsoft-alaska-car-deaths-ice/146274/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/alaska/medium.jpeg"
alt="A snow plow clears a street in Anchorage, Alaska on March 25, 2013."
title="A snow plow clears a street in Anchorage, Alaska on March 25, 2013."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Around eight years ago, when he was still a station foreman at Alaska&rsquo;s Department of Transportation, Dan Schacher noticed that winter temperatures began fluctuating between very cold and the kind of cold that causes a mixture of rain and snow to hit freezing concrete and turn into ice. &ldquo;This year we had a rain event in January where we got six inches of rain, which is absolutely unheard of, at this time of year,&rdquo; Schacher said. &ldquo;Even the old timers don&rsquo;t remember very many of these events.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now the DOT&rsquo;s Fairbanks District maintenance superintendent, Schacher finds that relying on intuition and experience no longer suffice to plan road maintenance. In partnership with Microsoft and internet-of-things company Fathym, he instead relies on data collection and machine learning.</p>
<p>Fathym helped Schacher equip his fleet&mdash;including snow plows and light-duty vehicles&mdash;with a system of mobile sensors that track road temperature, precipitation, and pavement conditions. During the standard workday, the sensors feed data back at three-second intervals to Fathym&rsquo;s analytics platform, WeatherCloud, which runs on top of Microsoft&rsquo;s cloud services. The platform churns out real-time and forecasted road weather conditions that supplements the weather service&rsquo;s air temperature and overarching forecast and the data from 63 other existing road weather information systems in the area.</p>
<p>If WeatherCloud shows heavier ice, say, north of town than south, Schacher&rsquo;s crew members know to distribute chemicals accordingly. If it shows a three-day forecast of plummeting temperatures, they know not to use chemicals to melt the existing snow, which would risk forming rather than getting rid of ice. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very intuitive,&rdquo; Schacher says.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="big" height="216" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/02/27/Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 3.05.11 PM.png" width="644" /></p>
<p>In addition to saving the DOT money, these decisions can have life or death significance. Icy roads cause more than&nbsp;<a href="https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/q1_roadimpact.htm">150,000 car crashes</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. each year, injuring nearly 39,000 people and killing over 550. Though he hasn&rsquo;t yet measured the impact of adopting WeatherCloud, Schacher points to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.highways.org/2014/01/winter-roads-release/">2014 American Highway Users Alliance study</a>, which found that de-icing four-lane roads reduced accidents by 93%. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re hoping to see numbers like that,&rdquo; he says.</p>
<p>Alaska&rsquo;s DOT is Fathym&rsquo;s first WeatherCloud customer. As climate change intensifies and increases the frequency of extreme weather events, both Fathym and Microsoft hope to replicate their work with Alaska in other states and abroad. In January, the &ldquo;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/us/winter-snow-bomb-cyclone.html">bomb cyclone</a>&rdquo; covered roads across the U.S.&rsquo;s eastern seaboard with treacherous levels of ice, snow, and slush, and led to several deaths.</p>Karen Hao, QuartzTue, 27 Feb 2018 15:18:23 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/microsoft-alaska-car-deaths-ice/146274/Tech & DataA snow plow clears a street in Anchorage, Alaska on March 25, 2013.Mark Thiessen / AP PhotoSessions Vows to Defend Presidential Powers Against State Legal Actionshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/sessions-presidential-powers-states/146265/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/27/sessions/medium.jpeg"
alt="Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General at their winter conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday."
title="Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General at their winter conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Attorney General Jeff Sessions criticized &ldquo;state court overreach&rdquo; for hindering the exercise of presidential authority on everything from immigration to workplace discrimination, in his Tuesday speech to the National Association of Attorneys General.</p>
<p>States and cities hit the Trump administration with 20 nationwide injunctions in its first year, Sessions said, more than any president in history and after none occurred before the 1960s.</p>
<p>To not defend presidential powers in court would be to yield &ldquo;to an excessive view of judicial superiority,&rdquo; the attorney general said, one that&rsquo;s getting in the way of his approach to law and order.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I do recognize that our different chief executives and attorneys general have different priorities,&rdquo; Sessions said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re prioritizing crime and criminal justice enforcement.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The attorney general said the Supreme Court has already sided with his Department of Justice three times against state overreach, and he expects to win out on President Trump&rsquo;s travel ban.</p>
<p>He hoped for a &ldquo;breakthrough&rdquo; on immigration in Congress that would close &ldquo;loopholes&rdquo; in federal law, while solving the Dreamer situation, and characterized sanctuary cities as believing in &ldquo;open borders, basically.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need to shift our policy more to an immigration flow like Canada,&rdquo; Sessions said. &ldquo;I have long believed, and the president has articulated, that it enhances the ability to bring in more people who already speak English, who have educational levels that we can identify as likely to flourish.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Sessions further criticized the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for reversing Monday its previous rulings that the federal law&nbsp;banning sex discrimination in the workplace,&nbsp;Title VII, doesn&rsquo;t apply to LGBT employees.</p>
<p>&quot;I guess maybe the judges woke up that morning and read <em>The New York Times</em> or something and decided their previous ruling was wrong,&rdquo; Sessions said.</p>
<p>On gun safety, the attorney general said he believed it was within DOJ&rsquo;s authority to put forth regulations on bump stocks, which accelerate semi-automatic rifles&rsquo; rate of fire, in the aftermath of a Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school that killed 17. He said an announcement was forthcoming.</p>
<p>In addition to curbing shootings, Sessions said part of his agency&rsquo;s focus on reducing the two-year uptick in violent crime and crime more generally involves mitigating opioid abuse and going after doctors who overprescribe such drugs. DOJ has doubled the number of FBI agents and increased prosecutors across the country handling such cases, he added, including the &ldquo;largest darknet takedown in history a few months ago&rdquo; of websites distributing drugs.</p>
<p>The new Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team will be contacting state and local officials in an effort to forge partnerships combating drug abuse, the attorney general said, just as Project Safe Neighborhoods will continue working with jurisdictions to better use resources to &ldquo;focus on the &lsquo;alpha&rsquo; criminals.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Another area where DOJ&rsquo;s and states&rsquo; priorities align is <a href="http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/elder-abuse-opioid-epidemic/146184/">fighting elder abuse</a>, which is <a href="http://www.naag.org/naag/media/naag-news/naag-president-launches-national-effort-to-combat-elder-abuse.php">the focus of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt&rsquo;s NAAG presidency</a>. Sessions boasted the &ldquo;largest elder fraud takedown in American history&rdquo; Thursday <a href="http://www.naag.org/naag/media/naag-news/state-attorneys-general-announce-elder-fraud-sweep-with-justice-department.php">in partnership with states</a>.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got victims all over America. Every day people are being victimized by these sorry, no-good skunks,&rdquo; Sessions said. &ldquo;I just despise this bunch. They&rsquo;re just despicable people.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirTue, 27 Feb 2018 13:27:34 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/sessions-presidential-powers-states/146265/Public SafetyAttorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General at their winter conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.Susan Walsh / AP PhotoPuerto Rico’s Government Agencies Need Aid, Toohttp://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/puerto-rico-justice-department-hurricane-maria/146253/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/puerto_rico/medium.jpeg"
alt="Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez-Garced, far right, walks with colleagues to a press conference in San Juan on Jan. 16 addressing the island&#39;s homicide surge."
title="Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez-Garced, far right, walks with colleagues to a press conference in San Juan on Jan. 16 addressing the island&#39;s homicide surge."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Reestablishing normal work conditions remains a primary concern for Puerto Rico&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-pr">Department of Justice</a>&nbsp;more than 160 days after Hurricane Maria left the island&rsquo;s government agencies and the communities they serve without basic necessities.</p>
<p>Some of the department&#39;s lawyers&nbsp;were unable to communicate with or make it into work, while others were off providing volunteer aid to children, people with disabilities and seniors, Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez-Garced told the <a href="http://www.naag.org/">National Association of Attorneys General</a> on Monday at their winter meeting in the nation&#39;s capital.</p>
<p>The &ldquo;most catastrophic atmospheric event in the U.S.&rdquo; left the territory looking and feeling like &ldquo;another dimension,&rdquo; and not even the Justice Department headquarters was spared, the secretary said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The fight against crime is a very difficult task,&rdquo; Vazquez-Garced said. &ldquo;Can you imagine it without a place to quarter all your lawyers and prosecutors?&rdquo;</p>
<p>Post-Maria, Puerto Rico saw one of its <a href="http://pix11.com/2018/02/01/puerto-rico-reports-78-killings-in-one-of-deadliest-months/">deadliest months</a> in recent years in January with 78 homicides reported.</p>
<p>Employees lacked access to case files, phone service, internet, or even computers following the hurricane, with work conditions having a noticeable negative effect on morale, the secretary said. The criminal justice information system was inaccessible for several weeks, delaying the agency&rsquo;s ability to defend ongoing cases.</p>
<p>While the situation has improved and about 600 volunteers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FBI and Red Cross are now assisting Puerto Rico&rsquo;s government, electricity, electronics and communications must still be restored and case files digitized.</p>
<p>The Justice Department is eyeing a replacement office that will cost $19 million&mdash;&ldquo;money our local government does not have,&rdquo; Vazquez-Garced said.</p>
<p>Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, NAAG president, said the organization has put together a working group of four of its members to serve as a point of contact for Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>A team will be on the ground in a few weeks, and NAAG&rsquo;s executive committee and Mission Foundation are discussing short-term aid from expertise to things as &ldquo;simple as keeping folks motivated,&rdquo; Schmidt said.</p>
<p>Vazquez-Garced asked for help to &ldquo;maintain law and order&rdquo; in the territory.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need your assistance,&rdquo; Vazquez-Garced said. &ldquo;We could use funding, technical support or motivational training.&rdquo;</p>Dave NyczepirMon, 26 Feb 2018 20:43:50 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/management/2018/02/puerto-rico-justice-department-hurricane-maria/146253/ManagementPuerto Rico Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez-Garced, far right, walks with colleagues to a press conference in San Juan on Jan. 16 addressing the island's homicide surge.Carlos Giusti / AP PhotoIn White House Meeting With Governors, Trump Emphasizes Preference for Arming School Staff http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/trump-governors-school-shootings/146252/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/inslee_trump_nga_meeting/medium.jpg"
alt="Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., right, speaks about school safety during an event with President Donald Trump and members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Washington."
title="Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., right, speaks about school safety during an event with President Donald Trump and members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Washington."
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; President Trump stressed in a meeting with governors at the White House on Monday that he sees having armed personnel at schools as a promising option for preventing future mass shootings like the one that took place in Florida earlier this month.</p>
<p>The president voiced support for other policies intended to curb gun violence as well, such as stronger background checks and banning &ldquo;bump stocks,&rdquo; which can modify rifles so they can be fired more rapidly. And he suggested there should be discussion about&nbsp;confining people who could pose violent threats to &ldquo;mental institutions.&quot;</p>
<p>Trump also acknowledged that state and local governments would take a leading role in crafting policies to address gun violence, and pledged support regardless of the paths they choose. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be there to help you no matter what your solution is,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>The meeting was held as part of the National Governors Association annual winter gathering in the nation&rsquo;s capital, which began Friday and ran through the weekend. According to the White House, 39 governors were expected to attend the meeting&nbsp;with Trump.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, a gunman shot 17 people to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The incident has ignited a new national dialog about school safety and gun laws, drawing attention from the president and governors.</p>
<p>Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, said during the meeting with Trump that his state is &ldquo;not waiting&rdquo; for the federal government to take action on the issue. &ldquo;We&#39;re going to invest $500 million, and we&#39;re going to have a significant law enforcement presence at every public school in our state,&rdquo; he said. The governor also highlighted plans for future capital spending on Florida schools to go toward &ldquo;hardening&rdquo; facilities, with sheriffs offering input on investments.</p>
<p>Additionally, Scott said Florida would look to enable family members, mental health care providers and law enforcement officers to seek court orders to have a person&rsquo;s guns taken away if the person is struggling with mental illness, or threatening violence.</p>
<p>Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican who currently chairs the National Governors Association, recommended to the president that the scope of&nbsp;federal background checks for firearm purchases be expanded. &ldquo;In my state, our background checks are much broader,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When we do an FBI background check, it does not include an adjudication of mental illness. It does not include an adjudication of a domestic violence protection order, or a conviction.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Nevada experienced a mass shooting in October when a gunman in Las Vegas fired on a crowd of concert-goers from a hotel window, killing 58 people, and injuring hundreds.</p>
<p>Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington had a terse exchange with Trump during Monday&rsquo;s meeting when he pushed back against the president&rsquo;s preference for arming more people in schools.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know that you have suggested arming our teachers,&rdquo; said Inslee, who currently leads the Democratic Governors Association.</p>
<p>Trump hastened to respond. &ldquo;No, no, no, not your teachers,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Arming a small portion that are very gun adept, that truly know how to handle it,&rdquo; the president added. &ldquo;You have a gun-free zone, it&#39;s like an invitation for these very sick people to go there.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Inslee followed up by emphasizing that he&rsquo;d heard from first grade teachers &ldquo;that don&rsquo;t want to be pistol-packing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Educators should educate, and they should not be foisted upon this responsibility of packing heat,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Following Inslee&rsquo;s remarks, Trump called on Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, to describe a policy in his state allowing for &ldquo;school marshal&rdquo; programs. &ldquo;We now have well over a hundred school districts in the state of Texas where teachers or other people who work in the school do carry a weapon, and are trained to be able to respond to an attack,&rdquo; Abbott said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Candidly, some school districts, they promote it,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;They will have signs out front, a warning sign: &lsquo;Be aware, there are armed personnel on campus,&rsquo; warning anybody coming on there that, if they attempt to cause any harm, they&#39;re going to be in trouble.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump endorsed the program. &ldquo;Essentially, what you&#39;re saying is that when a sick individual comes into that school, they can expect major trouble. Right? Major trouble,&rdquo; the president said. &ldquo;The bullets are going to be going toward him, also. And I think that&#39;s great.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump brought up the topic of committing people to mental health facilities as he discussed mental illness in the context of gun violence. &ldquo;In the old days, we had mental institutions. We had a lot of them, and you could nab somebody like this,&rdquo; he said of the Florida gunman.</p>
<p>&quot;We&#39;re going to have to start talking about mental institutions,&quot;&nbsp;he added. &ldquo;We have nothing between a prison and leaving him at his house, which we can&#39;t do anymore.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Psychiatric hospitals have a <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/timeline-mental-health-america/" target="_blank">complicated&nbsp;legacy</a> in America, one tainted by instances of <a href="https://www.aclu.org/other/aclu-history-mental-institutions" target="_blank">abuse and other problems</a>. Many were shuttered in past decades.&nbsp;Experts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/22/health/trump-mental-hospitals-parkland.html">have questioned</a> how far more mental health facilities could go toward preventing killing sprees.</p>
<p>Trump also said he&rsquo;d met with the National Rifle Association&rsquo;s leaders over the weekend. He urged the governors not to be intimidated by the group, which is known for its lobbying clout.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They&#39;re on our side. You guys, half of you are so afraid of the NRA,&rdquo; the president said. &ldquo;There&#39;s nothing to be afraid of.&rdquo;</p>Bill LuciaMon, 26 Feb 2018 19:00:00 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/trump-governors-school-shootings/146252/Public SafetyGov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., right, speaks about school safety during an event with President Donald Trump and members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Washington.AP Photo/Evan VucciSupreme Court Could Limit Law Enforcement’s Reach in the Cloudhttp://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/supreme-court-law-enforcements-reach-cloud/146251/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/supreme_court_building_EVNiJ5R/medium.jpg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Government attorneys will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to decide for the first time Tuesday how far U.S. warrants can reach into the global data storage networks maintained by modern internet companies.</p>
<p>Whatever the court decides, it&rsquo;s likely to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/emails-microsoft-case-cloud-computing-213361">ratchet up pressure</a>&nbsp;on Congress to finally update the three-decade-old law that tech companies and national security hawks both agree is ill-suited for an era of global internet firms and cloud computing.</p>
<p>In the case at issue,&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-microsoft-corp/">United States vs. Microsoft</a></em>, the Washington state tech giant refused to comply with a Justice Department warrant for customer emails stored in a data center in Dublin.</p>
<p>According to Microsoft, the law the government used to justify the warrant, the 1986 Stored Communications Act, doesn&rsquo;t extend outside U.S. borders. Just like physical files in a Dublin filing cabinet, Microsoft argued, the emails are only governed by Irish law.</p>
<p>The Stored Communications Act&mdash;and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which is contained within it&mdash;largely predate the internet era in which people routinely consign their most personal communications to commercial email and app providers. &nbsp;</p>
<p>If the Justice Department wants to get ahold of the emails, Microsoft said, it should ask Irish police to write a warrant for them and then pass them along using a process known as a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, or MLAT. MLATs are notoriously slow and often hindered by diplomatic disagreements&mdash;especially between the U.S. and its ideological adversaries such as Russia and China.</p>
<p>The Justice Department argued that the emails aren&rsquo;t really outside the U.S.&rsquo;s digital borders because Microsoft employees could retrieve them simply by pressing a few buttons at the company&rsquo;s Redmond, Wash., headquarters.</p>
<p>The government&rsquo;s argument won before a magistrate judge and at a federal district court in New York City but was overturned in favor of Microsoft by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.</p>
<p>Now, the case is poised to be one of the most complex technology cases to ever reach the high court, which has tackled&nbsp;<a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-jones/">GPS tracking</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/riley-v-california/">cellphone searches</a>&nbsp;in recent terms.</p>
<p><strong>A Bad Result Either Way</strong></p>
<p>If the Supreme Court upholds the Second Circuit decision, that would bar U.S. warrants from reaching emails and other communications that are vital to crime and terrorism prosecutions, government attorneys say. A government loss would likely spur an outcry by Justice Department officials and swift action by Congress, attorneys and advocates favoring both sides of the issue told&nbsp;Nextgov.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The likely immediate consequence is the DOJ sending an army of prosecutors in the halls of Congress seeking legislation to reverse the court&rsquo;s decision,&rdquo; said Greg Nojeim, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology.</p>
<p>A pro-government decision, however, would produce problems of its own, said Michael Vatis, a former top cyber and national security official at the FBI and Justice Department.</p>
<p>First, it could spur other countries to pass or implement similar laws that would give them broad access to U.S. citizens&rsquo; information held by companies with offices in their countries, potentially damaging Americans&rsquo; privacy.</p>
<p>Second, it could spur countries to pass &ldquo;blocking statutes&rdquo; that bar companies from turning over to U.S. law enforcement digital information that resides within their borders&mdash;essentially forcing U.S. companies to choose between violating U.S. laws or a host country&rsquo;s laws.</p>
<p>Both Nojeim and Vatis would prefer that the Supreme Court rule in Microsoft&rsquo;s favor. They would also like, however, for Congress to ameliorate that decision with new legislation that allows overseas data warrants in limited circumstances.</p>
<p>Nojeim&rsquo;s organization, the Center for Democracy and Technology think tank, filed a friend-of the-court&nbsp;<a href="https://cdt.org/files/2018/01/Supreme-Court-amicus-brief-Microsoft-Ireland-1-18-18.pdf">brief</a>&nbsp;advocating for a Microsoft win. Vatis, who&rsquo;s now a partner at Steptoe and Johnson, wrote a pro-Microsoft&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/17/17-2/28373/20180118181739674_17-2%20BSAC%20Brief.pdf">brief</a>&nbsp;on behalf of a group of legal scholars who focus on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.</p>
<p>Jennifer Daskal, a former top national security attorney at the Justice Department, would prefer a government win. She hopes, however, that the justices also make clear that judges shouldn&rsquo;t approve overseas warrants willy-nilly with no thought to how those warrants might damage international relations. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The problem with a government win is that it will, at least, be perceived as the U.S. saying &lsquo;we can access data anywhere without regard to the interests of others,&rsquo; &rdquo; said Daskal, who&rsquo;s now a law professor at American University.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Hopefully that&rsquo;s not how it will operate,&rdquo; Daskal said. &ldquo;If a U.S. warrant conflicts with a foreign government&rsquo;s law, then courts should take that into account in deciding whether to issue the warrant and [while considering] the scope of the warrant.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Like Nojeim and Vatis, Daskal would prefer that Congress update the Stored Communication Act to allow certain overseas data warrants, but she acknowledges there will be less pressure for congressional action following a government victory.</p>
<p><strong>A Problem Congress Hasn&rsquo;t Fixed</strong></p>
<p>Unlike some other showdowns between tech companies and law enforcement, such as the battle over encrypted communication systems, Microsoft and other tech companies have generally favored compromise legislation that allows warrants for overseas data in certain cases. Industry and privacy groups have generally followed suit.</p>
<p>Yet, legislative proposals to update the Stored Communications Act in response to the Microsoft case have failed to gain traction in three successive congresses.</p>
<p>The most recent iterations of those bills would authorize overseas data warrants but also give data companies and the countries where that data is stored an opportunity to object in a U.S. court. A judge would then decide &ldquo;whether, in the interests of international comity, the warrant should be modified or quashed,&rdquo; according to the Senate version of the bill sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s similar to the balancing act between the desires of law enforcement and international relations that Daskal said she hopes the Supreme Court will highlight.</p>
<p>Both Hatch&rsquo;s bill and the House version this session are called the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data, or CLOUD, Act. The Senate bill won quick&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/datalaw/wp-content/uploads/sites/149/2018/02/Tech-Companies-Letter-of-Support-for-Senate-CLOUD-Act-020618.pdf">praise</a>&nbsp;from Microsoft, Google and other tech firms as well as from industry groups&nbsp;<a href="https://www.itic.org/news-events/news-releases/tech-industry-supports-international-data-access-bill">such as</a>&nbsp;the Information Technology Industry Council.</p>
<p>The president&rsquo;s Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert and his British Counterpart Paddy McGuinness also penned a joint Valentine&rsquo;s Day&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/opinion/data-overseas-legislation.html">op-ed</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;endorsing the bill.</p>
<p>Nojeim&rsquo;s group, the Center for Democracy and Technology,&nbsp;<a href="https://cdt.org/press/cloud-act-would-erode-trust-in-privacy-of-cloud-storage/">opposed</a>&nbsp;the CLOUD Act, though it had supported other legislative fixes in earlier congresses.</p>
<p>That opposition is largely based on the fact the bill fails to close a separate Stored Communications Act loophole that allows law enforcement to obtain emails that are more than 180 days old without a warrant.</p>
<p>Under the 1980s-era logic of the law, those emails are considered abandoned by their owner and only require an administrative subpoena for access that hasn&rsquo;t been reviewed by a judge.</p>
<p>That loophole would have been closed by a separate bill, the Email Privacy Act, which passed the House in both 2016 and 2017 but has yet to reach a floor vote in the Senate.</p>
<p><strong>The Google Problem</strong></p>
<p>One additional wrinkle is that the Microsoft case&mdash;while far more complex than what lawmakers envisioned when the Stored Communications Act passed in 1986&mdash;is likely the simplest version of the problem law enforcement faces with international data storage in the cloud computing era.</p>
<p>In the Microsoft case, as far as the public knows, all of the emails the Justice Department is seeking are in a single data center in Ireland&mdash;presumably placed there based on the account owner&rsquo;s location.</p>
<p>In other cases, data storage is far more complex.</p>
<p>Google, for example, is&nbsp;<a href="http://law.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/articles/politico-it1s_warrant_time-20150130.pdf">widely believed</a>&nbsp;to &ldquo;load balance&rdquo; customer data, shifting it from one location to another throughout the day to maximize server space and utility. In other cases, companies &ldquo;mirror&rdquo; data in multiple locations so there will be a safe copy in one location if a digital or natural disaster destroys the version in another location.</p>
<p>Finally, Google and other companies are also believed to &ldquo;shard&rdquo; data&mdash;for example, by splitting up text and images from the same email or web page&mdash;also to maximize storage efficiency.</p>
<p>That means, theoretically, if the Justice Department was pursuing a child pornography case, the incriminating images could be in one legal jurisdiction while incriminating email messages are in another.</p>
<p>All of these problems are likely to grow even more difficult as the internet grows larger and more complex.</p>
<p>That means that a Supreme Court victory, whether for Microsoft or the government, will still leave many questions unanswered&mdash;especially if the court rules narrowly on the facts of the Microsoft case.</p>
<p>That, in turn, will kick many significant questions back to Congress.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In an ideal world, Congress would be updating these laws much more quickly,&rdquo; Daskal, the former Justice official, said. &ldquo;This is one of many updates that folks on the Hill have been working on that have been languishing in Congress for far too long.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Despite the long lag time, Daskal said she&rsquo;s &ldquo;cautiously optimistic&rdquo; that a ruling in the high court case will push congressional action. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We have major tech firms and the government agreeing on a way forward,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We have big players coming together in a way that I think is quite beneficial for security and privacy over the long term.&rdquo;</p>Joseph Marks, NextgovMon, 26 Feb 2018 18:32:10 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2018/02/supreme-court-law-enforcements-reach-cloud/146251/Tech & DataShutterstockLessons From Kentucky’s Public Health Surveillance and Community Preventionhttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/national-governors-association-kentucky-learning-lab/146245/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/kentucky_welcome_sign/medium.jpg"
alt="Crossing into Covington, Kentucky from Cincinnati, Ohio"
title="Crossing into Covington, Kentucky from Cincinnati, Ohio"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Earlier this month, National Governors Association selected seven states to participate in a learning lab focused on state strategies to manage infectious diseases related to substance abuse.</p>
<p>In addition to a field visit to Kentucky that will look at how public health surveillance and community prevention efforts have been used to address the risk of infectious disease risk associated with substance abuse, including the opioid epidemic, the states will receive six months of technical assistance in creating and executing an action plan.</p>
<p>The NGA chose Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Michigan, Utah, Virginia and Washington to participate in the learning lab.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The opioid epidemic continues to take a devastating toll on Virginia&rsquo;s communities,&rdquo; Gov. Ralph Northam <a href="https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=25597">said in a statement</a> released Monday.<strong> </strong>&ldquo;As a physician myself, I know that to combat this public health crisis, we must approach it from every angle, including finding better ways to reduce the harm from infectious diseases. I appreciate the opportunity from the NGA for Virginia to learn collaboratively, and I look forward to hearing what our officials learn from other states and how we can implement those findings in the Commonwealth.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Dr. Daniel Carey, who serves as Virginia&rsquo;s secretary of Health and Human Resources, said in a statement: &quot;Public health is a collaborative effort, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to learning from Kentucky&rsquo;s success.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In a separate project, the NGA selected five states&mdash;Alaska, Arizona, Missouri, Rhode Island and West Virginia<strong>&mdash;</strong>to participate in a program looking at efforts in Ohio to serve pregnant and post-natal women with opioid-use disorder and improve health outcomes for their babies.</p>Route Fifty StaffMon, 26 Feb 2018 15:36:23 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/national-governors-association-kentucky-learning-lab/146245/Health & Human ServicesCrossing into Covington, Kentucky from Cincinnati, OhioShutterstockFederal Funding for Low-Income Energy Assistance Highest in New England, Upper Midwesthttp://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/federal-funding-low-income-energy-assistance/146241/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/portsmouth_new_hampshire/medium.jpg"
alt="Portsmouth, New Hampshire"
title="Portsmouth, New Hampshire"
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p><em>This article was <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2018/02/21/federal-funding-for-low-income-energy-assistance-highest-in-new-england-upper-midwest">originally published</a> by The Pew Charitable Trusts as part of the <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/fiscal-federalism-initiative">Fiscal Federalism Initiative</a> and was written by&nbsp;Phillip Oliff, Rebecca Theiss, and Brakeyshia Samms.</em></p>
<p>For many Americans in colder regions of the country, winter brings plunging temperatures and spiking heating bills. The low-income home energy assistance program, or LIHEAP, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides federal block-grant funding that states can use to help offset heating or cooling energy costs for their low-income residents. In fiscal year 2016, the program was the third-largest federal block grant to states, according to the Federal Funds Information for States,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20180201_RL31865_b8be422272b48a2f5eefe5881be52c9821464e57.pdf">distributing more than $3.3 billion</a>&nbsp;to states and the District of Columbia. However, as this analysis will show, that funding differed by state.</p>
<p>As federal policymakers discuss the future of LIHEAP within the context of debates over the federal budget, they need to understand how the program&rsquo;s basic structure contributes to the distribution of funding, how changes to the program could have widely differing effects across states, and recent federal funding trends.</p>
<p><strong>LIHEAP Funding Varies Significantly Across States, Partly by Design</strong></p>
<p>Total LIHEAP funding is set by Congress during the annual appropriations process and distributed according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20170217_RL33275_095b9b106d402914cea8c347e12584acad0b575d.pdf">funding formulas</a>&nbsp;that determine how much money each state receives. Congress designed the original funding formula to provide more assistance to cold-weather states. And over the years, the funding distribution has been based on factors such as temperature variation, total residential energy consumption in the state, and household energy use. Although policymakers created a new LIHEAP formula in the 1980s, congressional budgeting decisions have continued to prioritize cold-weather states.</p>
<p>Per capita federal spending ranged from $34 in North Dakota to $3 in Arizona in 2017. States receiving the most in per capita grants were concentrated in New England and the upper Midwest, and those with the lowest funding were mostly in the Southwest.&nbsp;</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned normal"><img alt="" class="normal" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/02/26/FederalFunding_Figure1.png" />
<figcaption>(via The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>LIHEAP Gives States Flexibility Within Limits</strong></p>
<p>Federal law lays out a set of broad guidelines for how states must use LIHEAP dollars but allows states flexibility in how they structure their programs within the context of those general requirements. States have discretion, for example, to determine details such as eligibility thresholds or whether to operate a cooling program or provide weatherization assistance.</p>
<p>States can set eligibility thresholds based on household income within certain federally prescribed parameters or automatically extend eligibility to households that receive other income-based assistance, such as through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or Supplemental Security Income.&nbsp;</p>
<p>States use LIHEAP funds to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Help pay residential heating and cooling costs.</li>
<li>Assist families facing an energy emergency, such as a furnace repair or utility cut-off.</li>
<li>Subsidize low-cost household weatherization projects, such as home insulation.</li>
<li>Provide programs that reduce the use of energy assistance funds, such as counseling on how to decrease energy consumption.</li>
<li>Support program administration.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>LIHEAP Funding Spiked After the Great Recession, Then Declined</strong></p>
<p>Overall funding for the LIHEAP program was about 33 percent higher in 2017 than it was in 2007, after adjusting for inflation. Funding levels spiked in the wake of the recession, when federal policymakers temporarily increased spending on the program, then returned closer to pre-recession levels and have remained essentially flat in real terms since 2013.</p>
<figure class="gemg-captioned normal"><img alt="" class="normal" src="/media/ckeditor-uploads/2018/02/26/FederalFunding_Figure2.png" />
<figcaption>(via The Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p></p>Phillip Oliff, Brakeyshia Samms, and Rebecca Theiss, The Pew Charitable TrustsMon, 26 Feb 2018 14:11:36 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/health-human-services/2018/02/federal-funding-low-income-energy-assistance/146241/Health & Human ServicesPortsmouth, New HampshireShutterstockFire Escapes Are Evocative, But Mostly Uselesshttp://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/fire-escapes-mostly-useless/146233/<img src="https://cdn.routefifty.com/media/img/upload/2018/02/26/fire/medium.jpeg"
alt=""
title=""
height="276"
width="458"
/>
<p>Tony wooed Maria from one in <em>West Side Story</em>. Rosario Dawson belted from one in <em>Rent</em>. They became just another piece in a gritty urban jungle gym for the kids in <em>The Get Down</em>. Police procedurals regularly feature guys fleeing (or entering) by means of them.</p>
<p>Fire escapes, the clunky metal accessories to buildings constructed in response to industrial building-code reform, have become an iconic part of the urban landscape. They serve purposes as numerous as their pop-cultural cameos. Part emergency exit, part makeshift patio, the fire escape has played an integral role in shaping the development of the cities whose buildings bear them. It continues to impact the urban landscape today, in ways that few could have imagined when they were first thought up. And despite having been invented expressly for public safety, the fire escape always created as much danger as it replaced.</p>
<p>By the mid-19th century, New York City was overcrowded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/city-noise-might-be-making-you-sick/553385/">oppressively loud</a>, and unequipped to support the flood of new arrivals to the industrializing city. Cheaply built tenements stretched higher into the air than ever before, filled with people who worked in equally overfilled factories. These buildings were firetraps, made of cheap materials that burned easily. They grew more deadly the higher they climbed. When fires raged, there were typically only two forms of escape: narrow interior stairs, or the roof. The stairs sometimes burned away,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1860/02/03/archives/calamitous-fire-tenement-house-on-elmstreet-destroyed-thirty.html">as they did</a>&nbsp;in an 1860 fire that started in a building&rsquo;s basement, where dry hay and shavings from a bakery&rsquo;s storeroom had ignited. Those who were trapped had only one option: to wait, hoping the overtaxed fire departments would turn up swiftly and with a ladder tall enough to reach the upper-floor windows. That is, before the building collapsed, or they were killed by the flames. &ldquo;The burning building extended four stories above any of the surrounding structures,&rdquo;&nbsp;<em>The New York Times</em>&nbsp;wrote of the bakery fire. &ldquo;It must have been instant death for any of the poor creatures on the upper floors to have jumped from the roof.&rdquo; Thirty people died in the blaze.</p>
<p>The body count spurred the creation of building codes. Deadly fires ripped through the tenements in the poorest and most underserved neighborhoods, wreaking havoc and taxing city resources. The population of New York&nbsp;<a href="http://www.history.com/topics/tenements">doubled</a>&nbsp;each decade from 1800 to 1880, and the scale of the challenges the city was facing was both monumental and unique.</p>
<p>The first rules were&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/deterioration_history_cons_prior_codes.pdf">imposed</a>&nbsp;in the early 1860s when the New York City Department of Buildings ordered the implementation of an additional form of egress on tenements with more than eight families above the first floor. Landlords didn&rsquo;t want to add a set of fire-resistant interior stairs, because such a structure would reduce the amount of rentable space. The simplest solution was to find a way to get people out through their windows. The order called for a set of iron or wood stairs affixed to the exterior of a building, but this wasn&rsquo;t enforced, and the concept of a &ldquo;fire escape&rdquo; was approached with a significant amount of creative license.</p>
<p>Some early renditions resembled the structures people know from <em>West Side Story</em>, but other types were also common. Some hid ropes and ladders in false refrigerators or bolted-down blanket chests to throw out of the window in case of emergency. There were pulley systems with baskets meant to lower tenants to the ground, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US221855">patent</a>&nbsp;was even issued in 1879 for a parachute hat, with an accompanying pair of rubber shoes, a solution that seems to trade the risk of flames for the peril of descent.</p>
<p>Early regulations in New York and Philadelphia paved the way for most major U.S. cities to enact fire-escape legislation by the 1890s. These two cities were growing (and dealing with problems) on a much larger scale than others of the time, so they set the pace for fire-escape safety. The real boon for fire escapes arrived in 1901, when a new set of regulations, passed with that year&rsquo;s revision to the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Tenement_House_Act">Tenement House Act</a>, defined the structure with greater precision. A &ldquo;fire escape&rdquo; would now require an extra set of stairs, either inside or outside of a building, that was fireproof. If external, they had to be on the street-facing facade, and there were strict rules about the size of the balconies, the angle of the stairs, and the connections between them.</p>
<p>There was a problem with these exterior fire escapes, however. They were (and remain) tempting to repurpose for everyday use. In the early 20th century, blocking fire escapes was&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=r4QgAQAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Any%20person%20placing%20an%20encumbrance%20on%20this%20balcony%20is%20liable%20to%20a%20penalty%20of%20%2410%20and%20imprisonment%20of%2010%20days&amp;pg=PA243#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">punishable</a>&nbsp;by a fine of up to $10 and 10 days in jail&mdash;no small sum in those days. But the risk didn&rsquo;t outweigh the benefits; fire escapes had already become an extension of tenants&rsquo; homes. They were transformed into porches, gardens, no-cost storage units. They offered outdoor respite from the oppressive heat of city summers. Fires still seemed hypothetical, and interior space was at a premium. Why let such valuable square footage go to waste?</p>
<p>So city dwellers reshaped the fire escape, and in so doing it changed urban life. Fire escapes became makeshift jungle gyms for kids and offered a place to catch a breeze while hanging the wash to dry. Today it&rsquo;s uncommon to hear of people dying after rolling off of a fire escape in their sleep, but it&rsquo;s normal (if&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/fdny/pdfviewer/viewer.html?file=Chapter-10.pdf&amp;section=firecode_2014">still illegal</a>) to see fire escapes turned into vegetable gardens, smoking patios, and makeshift bike racks.</p>
<p>Repurposing fire escapes is one timeless tradition associated with these architectural structures. Another ritual: drawing the ire of landlords. When the 1901 restrictions required that fire escapes become larger, they had to cover more of a building&rsquo;s facade as a result. This created even more space for tenants to expand, while building owners worried that the fire escapes would reduce the value of their investments.</p>
<p>Yet with new fire escapes climbing up buildings like invasive ivy, it was some consolation to know that they would be a shared inconvenience. Hotels, factories, and schools also found themselves looped into the fire-safety trend, although hotels fought determinedly to shield their guests from what they argued were vacation-ruining additions. What guest, proprietors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1886/11/14/archives/would-rather-run-the-risk.html">reasoned</a>, would stay in a hotel that constantly reminded them of a potential catastrophe? Their initial solution&mdash;more of the cleverly hidden ropes&mdash;didn&rsquo;t work well for anyone, let alone ladies in long skirts. Eventually hoteliers were forced to adopt the metal structures. There is little evidence that any subsequent vacations were ruined.</p>
<p>Despite their claims to safety, even these heavy metal fire escapes failed quite frequently. A famous fire-escape disaster, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, took place at the Asch Building in Greenwich Village. On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/uncovering-the-history-of-the-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-124701842/">March 25, 1911</a>, 146 workers, mostly women, were trapped by fire and died. The doors were locked, and the stairs were inaccessible, but a fire escape was present and should have provided egress for the workers. But it was so flimsy that the panicked workers who were able to reach it overloaded the structure. It peeled off from the building, trapping those above and sending the workers who had reached it plummeting toward the street.</p>
<p>There have always been questions about how much urban dwellers can trust external fire escapes. A&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1899/03/21/archives/a-silly-proposal.html">editorial</a>&nbsp;published on March 21, 1899, worried that they offered &ldquo;little or nothing&rdquo; in the way of precaution. &ldquo;A burning tinderbox is no safer for being [enclosed] in a cage of red-hot ladders,&rdquo; the editorial continued. By 1930, fire escapes were still being constructed, but few people saw them as safety devices first. They had become architectural accessories that might be repurposed for escape, not the other way around.</p>
<p>Even so, for nearly a century the exterior fire escape persisted as the preeminent mode of fire safety for mid-rise buildings in American cities, especially the nation&rsquo;s oldest, like New York and Philadelphia. But few pedestrians today may realize that much of the iron and steel that hangs above their heads on city streets is often original.&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2015/04/12/fire-escapes-could-be-a-thing-of-the-past-due-to-safety-concerns/">A 1968 change</a>&nbsp;in New York building codes banned the construction of external fire escapes on almost all new buildings. What is there now has been there for a long time. The metal vines have seen the city grow, seen it change, and they have played an integral role in its evolution. The seeds of contemporary New York germinated on fire-escape balconies and grew below their entwining shadows.</p>
<p>It suggests a question: Are fire-escape structures a significant enough part of the city&rsquo;s history to qualify them for historical designation and protection? Most fire escapes have the sharp edges of utilitarian simplicity, but many are ornate works of decorative art designed to be functional jewelry, albeit for urban infrastructure. In a 2006&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvm.edu/histpres/HPJ/AndreThesis.pdf">graduate thesis</a>&nbsp;on historic preservation, Elizabeth Mary Andr&eacute; describes a 2003 hearing of the Historic Districts Council of New York before the Landmarks Preservation Commission, where fire-escape advocates made their case. The fire escapes on a street in the Tribeca East Historic District were not original to the buildings, but they were deemed a key part of the New York landscape, worthy of protection. In this neighborhood, mentions of &ldquo;historic fire escapes&rdquo; in the Landmarks Preservation Commission records go back&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/TRIBECA_SOUTH_HISTORIC_DISTRICT.pdf">at least to 1992</a>. Similar debates are taking place across the country, including in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/55578">San Jose</a>, California;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/applying-rehabilitation/its-bulletins/ITS43-Balconies-MillComplexes.pdf">Cumberland</a>, Rhode Island;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slcdocs.com/historicpreservation/GuideCom/Ch12.pdf">Salt Lake City</a>; and Seattle.</p>
<p>The architect Joseph Pell Lombardi is passionate about conserving historic structures. But Lombardi&nbsp;<a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2015/6/10/9951438/contested-soho-fire-escape-removal-gets-halted-for-now">made headlines</a>&nbsp;in 2015 when he clashed with the pro-fire-escape crowd. After being issued initial permission to remove fire escapes from two historic buildings in New York&rsquo;s SoHo neighborhood, he was ordered to stop after tenants complained that removal of the escapes would make the building unsafe.</p>
<p>When I asked him, Lombardi insisted that the fire escapes that were in question are &ldquo;very different than the fire escapes that are on late-19th-century buildings, and they do detract from the historical aspects of the building.&rdquo; As post-regulation add-ons, they didn&rsquo;t keep with the ornate style of the buildings&rsquo; facades&mdash;they were simply thrown up to comply with code. More importantly, he argued, they aren&rsquo;t reliable even if maintenance is regularly performed. Fireproof stairs are preferable, but with external fire escapes still so common, people sometimes feel unsafe without them. Eventually, Lombardi was forced to give in to pressure from the tenants, but he has&nbsp;<a href="http://www.josephpelllombardi.com/?res-area_page=soho">successfully removed fire escapes</a>&nbsp;from at least three other historic buildings. In all cases, Lombardi says, a better form of egress was supplied.</p>
<p>Andr&eacute; disagrees with Lombardi&rsquo;s assessment about the historical significance of fire escapes. &ldquo;The rationale that the fire escape is not original to the facade,&rdquo; Andr&eacute; writes, &ldquo;fails to consider the nearly 150-year history the building has undergone behind its iron mask.&rdquo; In historic preservation, the significance of a structure or its elements changes over time, and some of those changes themselves become historically significant. Fire escapes weren&rsquo;t original to many 19th-century buildings, but they might have initiated new historical significance through their later addition to them.</p>
<p>Historic or not, it does seem like the age of the fire escape is coming to an end. Marco A. Dos Santos, the owner of Atlantic Ironwork Restoration in Ludlow, Massachusetts, estimates that he&rsquo;s installed only 10 new fire escapes during a decade in business. Repairs to existing systems, he tells me, are constant and costly. But full replacements are exorbitantly expensive, and rarely allowed anyway. Many local city building codes, including those in New York, allow for the maintenance of the existing exterior balcony fire escapes, but put strict limitations on erecting new ones.</p>
<p>The most common issues with these existing structures, according to Stu Cohen, the founder of the City Building Owners Insurance Program, are the same ones that have plagued them from their earliest implementation: lack of maintenance and human obstruction. &ldquo;Over time,&rdquo; Dos Santos says, &ldquo;no one has been taking care of these systems because they don&rsquo;t want to put money into it.&rdquo; They are infrequently used for their designed purpose&mdash;if ever&mdash;so there is no sense of urgency, and a glut of deferred maintenance. The results can be deadly.</p>
<p>Rust and corrosive oxidation eat away at the structures and can destroy the bolts that keep them affixed to a building. Collapses are not uncommon, and when they happen the results are tragic, as powerfully captured in the 1976 Pulitzer Prize&ndash;winning photo &ldquo;<a href="http://100photos.time.com/photos/stanley-forman-fire-escape-collapse">Fire Escape Collapse</a>.&rdquo; Since the 2014&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Center-City-Balcony-Collapse--239791471.html">collapse of a fire escape</a>&nbsp;in Philadelphia left one man dead and two women injured, Dos Santos has been flooded with requests for repair estimates. Building owners will spend upward of $60,000 to bring their fire escapes up to code. The desire to avoid harm, liability, and citation could change both regulatory and maintenance practices across the country.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/02/18/us/ap-us-falling-debris-death.html">On February 18, 2018</a>, a man died after being hit on the head by a falling piece of a fire escape while walking in the very SoHo neighborhood where exterior fire escapes had initially developed and matured, where Lombardi has fought to remove them, and where they remain today. Fire escapes, initially invented to save people from danger, have become the cause of new peril.</p>
<p>And yet, to many people, fire escapes still offer a promise of safety. Following the Grenfell Tower Fire in London<strong>,</strong>&nbsp;which resulted in the deaths of 71 people, there was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/grenfell-tower-call-for-external-fire-escapes-0gjbc2f5h">a call</a>&nbsp;for the installation of exterior fire escapes on large apartment blocks as a way of reassuring the residents of high-rise apartment buildings. More generally, the mythology of the fire escape probably makes it feel like a security crutch, even for people who never intend to use one. Given improvements in building codes, construction, and manufacturing practices, today a fire escape is more likely to cause harm than to prevent it. A place for a romantic rendezvous can quickly become a coroner&rsquo;s scene.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Arguably, no other form of emergency egress,&rdquo; Andr&eacute; writes, &ldquo;has impacted the architectural, social, and political context in metropolitan America more than the iron balcony fire escape.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a bold claim, but not an entirely incredible one. Fire escapes encapsulate 150 years of city life in America, touching immigration, industrialization, public safety, popular culture, daily life, and urban mythology. The fire escape is antiquated and vestigial, but it also represents, in a way, the beginnings of architectural modernism. The harsh lines of these utilitarian metal structures anticipated the straight edges of the glass-and-steel skyscrapers that would erupt around them. Like so many aspects of the modern city, the fire escape promises a better, safer future. And yet, it also can&rsquo;t be counted on to follow through.</p>Pippa Biddle, The AtlanticMon, 26 Feb 2018 11:38:23 -0500http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/02/fire-escapes-mostly-useless/146233/Public Safety